American Laundry News - October 2015

Milliken & Co. acquires fabric maker Springfield

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Milliken & Co. reports that it has acquired Springfield LLC, a manufacturer of technical, performance and flame-resistant (FR) fabrics for the safety apparel, fire service, military and occupational markets. No terms were disclosed.

“As Milliken continues to build for the future, we remain committed to delivering innovations that ‘do good’—adding value to daily lives, improving health and safety and helping to make the world more sustainable,” says Joe Salley, president and CEO, Milliken & Co.

The acquisition is the latest initiative in Milliken’s expanding presence in the global industrial workwear and military fabrics markets, according to the company. Springfield’s portfolio of flame-resistant (FR) and non-flame-resistant fabrics provides Milliken with enhanced technical resources and delivers additional advancedengineered textile solutions.

“Springfield is excited to join a strong values-based company with a rich heritage of innovation,” says Ed Shogan, CEO, Springfield LLC.

Springfield is based in Jericho, N.Y., with offices in Rock Hill, S.C., and manufacturing facilities in both Gaffney and Lyman, S.C. ALN

Introducing HX: The Hotel Experience: Rooms to Restaurants

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

NEW YORK — The International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS) won’t take place here next month.

That’s because the show will be unveiling a new brand and style for its centennial edition, November 8-10, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center—HX: The Hotel Experience: Rooms to Restaurants (HX).

“Making this enormous change at our 100year juncture is exciting,” says Anthony G. Mangano, president of Syramada Hotel Corp. and chairman of the board for HX 2015. “These are not tweaks or modest improvements. HX 2015 is an entirely new show.”

HX will still be co-located with the Boutique Design New York (BDNY) trade fair.

TIME FOR A CHANGE

Mangano says the change began with conversations with vendors and attendees at the show. Show officials got input into what the vendors

and attendees were getting out of the show and what they were looking for.

“We make small changes every year to the show. Sometimes, they’re noticeable, sometimes, they’re not,” says Mangano. “We really thought it was time for a big, significant change that was much more noticeable, not only when

you walk in, the whole look and feel of it, but what the agenda entails and the types of displays we have on the floor and the attendee base, things like that.”

He also notes that world changes contributed

Three Mississippi hospitals collaborate to

JACKSON, Miss. — In a move that is expected to achieve $8-9 million in cost savings and advance the Mississippi Healthcare Corridor in the Jackson metropolitan area, Baptist Health Systems, St. Dominic Hospital and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) are collaborating to utilize shared laundry services through an agreement with Crown Healthcare Laundry Services, a nationally accredited

private-sector healthcare laundry processor located in the state.

According to the participating hospitals, the laundry services agreement is expected to result in the large capital cost avoidance by eliminating the need to repair and replace aging laundry equipment.

This will position the hospitals to increase their focus on providing excellent healthcare, and their collaborative agreement increases the overall competitive-

ness and economic vitality of the Mississippi Healthcare Corridor, officials there say.

“This new services agreement is an example of these major healthcare institutions working together to gain efficiencies and spur development,” says Gov. Phil Bryant, who is focused on increasing the role of healthcare as an economic driver in Mississippi. “This willingness to collaborate is vital to continued growth and development with-

in the Mississippi Healthcare Corridor.”

Bryant’s interest in collaboration among the metro-area hospitals stems from his 2012 visit to the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston. The world’s largest medical complex, TMC is comprised of multiple participating hospitals and academic centers that collaborate in many areas, including infrastructure

Panel of Experts

Texcare Intl. Interview Edgar Straub, of the Association of German Machine and Plant Manufacturers, talks trade show space expansion.

The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management

What do laundries need to consider before taking on new business?

The HX trade show floor has been redesigned to maximize value for both vendors and attendees. (Photo: Richard Cadan)

Survey:

CHICAGO — Laundry operations around the country are poised to grow, according to respondents to the latest American Laundry News Your Views survey.

When asked if they “actively seek out new business,” more than threequarters of respondents say that they are looking for such business.

The majority of those who said “yes” (68.2%) say that acquiring new business is vital to the growth of their companies. The remainder of respondents who answered in the affirmative say their operations have additional processing capability that can be utilized.

Some of the respondents who said their laundries couldn’t take on more business indicate that their facilities are operating at maximum capacity. Approximately 21% of those who answered “no” say that the laundry only serves the need of the institution it provides for.

“We are a nursing home,” writes a respondent. “Our laundry plant only handles our own residents’ clothing and our own housekeeping mops and rags. Our linen laundry is contracted out.”

When it comes to marketing in order to attract new business, 73.1% of respondents say that they target particular areas of the industry for growth, such as industrial and healthcare laundry. In fact, when asked which market segments they target, the top answer was healthcare at 71.4%. Other popular targeted market segments were hospitality and industrial.

However, some who took the survey just want to get more business. “I market anywhere and everywhere,” one respondent writes.

Respondents found a variety of methods to be highly effective when reaching out to new markets. Phone calls and e-mails were most effective for equal shares of 16% of survey respondents. In terms of being most effective, no one who took the survey found letters to be so, and printed material was selected by only 4%. Digital marketing was most effective for 12% of respondents.

Among respondents who market online—the most popular method, at close to 50%—is to have a website. Almost 30% use e-mail, and 18.5% are utilizing social media to spread the word about their companies.

But when all is said and done, most respondents prefer the personal touch. When they answered the question about the types of marketing

they use, “other” was indicated by 52% of those who took the survey. When asked to specify what marketing tactic they use, most indicated a preference for in-person contact.

“We use person-to-person direct contact,” writes one respondent. Another writes, “We have a salesperson actively seeking new business.”

Current customers are also a source of marketing for some respondents.

“Referrals from current customers works for us,” writes a respondent. Adds another, “We use referrals and then direct contact.”

Regular contact with customers is important to gaining those referrals, since more than three-quarters of respondents survey end-users and clients about their service experiences. Of those who survey customers, nearly 45% do so “regularly,” while 33.3% do so occasionally.

Of the remaining respondents, 14.8% “rarely” survey customers, and 7.4% “never” do.

While the Your Views survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific. Due to rounding, percentages may not add up to 100%.

Subscribers to American Laundry News e-mails are invited to take the industry survey anonymously online each month. All managers and administrators of institutional/OPL, cooperative, commercial and industrial laundries are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and identify industry trends. ALN

Clarification

The August American Laundry News article titled Changing textiles changes laundering practices contained a reference to 12x15inch napkins and 21x21-inch dinner napkins that may have been unclear. The smaller napkins offer

growth for lunch use by replacing paper napkins, according to ADI American Dawn’s Steve Kallenbach. Rental laundries can make money on them because the smaller napkins cost less to acquire and process, Kallenbach says. ALN

Publisher

Charles Thompson

Phone: 312-361-1680

E-Mail: cthompson@ ATMags.com

Editorial Director

Bruce Beggs

Phone: 312-361-1683

E-Mail: bbeggs@ ATMags.com

Editor

Matt Poe

Phone: 231-740-2842

E-Mail: mpoe@ ATMags.com

Digital Media Director

Nathan Frerichs

Phone: 312-361-1681

E-Mail: nfrerichs@ ATMags.com

Advisory Board

Jim Buik • Richard Griffin

Greg Gurtler • Phil Hart

Janice Larson • Tom Marks

Gerard O’Neill

Richard Warren

Production Manager

Roger Napiwocki

National Sales Director

Donald Feinstein

Phone: 312-361-1682

E-Mail: dfeinstein@ ATMags.com

Main Phone: 312-361-1700 Fax: 312-361-1685

Subscriptions

630-739-0900 x100 www.americanlaundrynews.com

American Laundry News (ISSN 1091-9201) is published monthly. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S. 1 year $39.00; 2 years $73.00. Foreign, 1 year $89.00; 2 years $166.00.

Single copies: U.S. $7.00; Foreign $14.00. Published by American Trade Magazines LLC, 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Laundry News, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 41, number 10. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Laundry News is distributed selectively to qualified laundry and linen management and distributors in the United States.

© Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2015. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Laundry News does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within.

Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of American Laundry News or its staff. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents at time of publication, neither the editors, publishers nor its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom.

MEMBERSHIPS

“

They have done everything they promised and more.”

– John Ambrose Magliocco, Arrow Linen, Garden City, NY

From

Arrow Linen first purchased their three Milnor CBW® tunnels two decades ago to replace conventional washer-extractors in their original laundry located in Brooklyn, NY. Since then, Arrow’s business grew to warrant a second laundry. In 2013, Arrow expanded operations–and raised their roof 11 feet! Arrow could have chosen any manufacturer to equip their new washroom, but they knew that would get longevity, durability, and accountability with Milnor.

Arrow’s customers’ restaurant linen requires frequent color and soil change formulas, but the quality is not compromised. Corporate Engineer Frank Park boasted the tunnels “have increased our workload over 40% without increasing energy, water, or labor costs we experienced when we converted the conventional washers to CBW® tunnels over 20 years ago. The major improvements from the CBW® to PBW™ are far superior washing capability with only 50% water consumption.”

To find out how PulseFlow® can cut your water bill in half, contact an authorized Milnor distributor or call 504-712-7656.

left to right: Frank Park, John Ambrose Magliocco, Ron Hirsch, and John Anthony Magliocco

NYC and The Hotel Experience

The October issue of American Laundry News—as has been our tradition—will focus in large part on hotel/motel laundering. But another long-standing tradition of the hospitality industry—the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS)—is no more.

Rather, in this year of its centennial, the annual New York City gathering that takes place every fall has been rebranded HX: The Hotel Experience: Rooms to Restaurants.

The multi-day event will still take place in mid-November at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, but beyond that, it will be all new, Editor Matt Poe learned from show officials.

The Director’s Chair BRUCE BE GG S

Attendees can expect to see a show floor “remerchandised” into five categories. Elsewhere, five branded ancillary activity areas will provide both educational and networking opportunities.

To learn more, take a look at Matt’s cover story; he’s also reviewed the exhibitor list and identified those that offer products or services that may be of interest to a laundry/linen manager like you.

Elsewhere in this issue, Denver area hotel owner Bruce Rahmani describes why he chose to replace all of the laundry equipment across his portfolio of Wyndhamand Choice-brand hotels.

Also, this month’s Product Showcase highlights guestroom linens available from some of today’s leading textile manufacturers.

Yes, we have your reservation right here. Your room is ready, and check-in time is now. ALN

Primus Laundry Equipment makes North American debut

CHAPTER 6 (C):

Barrier retreatment for surgical linen

Ihave listened carefully over the years to speakers from the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) and various linen companies discuss the barrier classification system. I have heard respected industry experts like Brad Bushman of Standard Textile explain that their products must start significantly over the required barrier level so that the product will still exceed the minimum set by the standard by the time it gets to the end of its recommended life.

What they will not say directly is that the reusable barrier surgical linen (non-impervious) will lose some barrier effectiveness with every washing. It does not matter what manufacturer you buy from or what chemical company you use. All reusable barrier surgical linen will lose barrier effectiveness with each processing.

If the reusable barrier surgical linen is improperly processed with excessive amounts of alkali and high temperature (normally used to remove oil stains), the barrier level will quickly drop to unacceptable levels, I’ve discovered.

RIPON, Wis.

Primus® is now making its commercial laundry equipment available to North American laundries, the company reports.

“Primus offers one of the most comprehensive product lines available, with cutting-edge technologies built into each and every machine,” says Mark Schram, North American sales manager. “We look forward to the even greater innovations ahead as Primus equipment continues to evolve, backed by Alliance Laundry Systems’ leadership and an accredited distribution network.”

Acquired by Alliance in 2014, Primus offers a full line of equipment for on-premises laundries (OPL) and Laundromats. Flagship products include smallchassis equipment and tumble dryers, hard-mount washer-extractors and an exclusive vended soft-mount washer-extractor line.

Across all segments, Primus is dedicated to developing durable, reliable products that use less water and energy, are easy to use, and are more cost-effective than competitive models, the company says, adding that products meet quality standards in four categories— energy, ergonomics, ecology and design—to ensure customer requirements for durability and performance are satisfied.

While Primus made its official North American debut in September, its equipment had been sold in the U.S. and Canada for two decades under a supply agreement with another manufacturer. This is good news, according to Schram, as a “solid history of excellence” is already in place, as well as capabilities to provide OEM parts, service and support when replacing existing equipment.

“Primus is already recognized globally for bringing industry-leading efficiency and value” to laundry owners, he says. “We’re pleased to now confidently provide this value to North American store owners under the Primus name.”

Primus is poised to offer finance programs tailored to the needs of each customer. Additionally, Alliance’s Customer One™ program provides access to resources that laundry design and site selection expertise, OEM parts, and dedicated sales and service personnel.

“The Primus and Alliance partnership is an extraordinary blend of two global leaders coming together to bring its distributors and customers unique equipment, unmatched expertise and industry-leading support not found anywhere else in the world,” says Schram.

Primus can be reached at 920-748-3121, e-mail primus.sales@alliancels.com. ALN

Unfortunately, the barrier on the polyester panels is gradually removed during each processing. If the product is washed in an aggressive wash formula, the barrier on the polyester panels can be significantly compromised in as few as 10 washings. Once this barrier is compromised, mineral oils and fats readily stain an operating gown during surgery. Once stained with oil, the product is no longer accepted for use in the operating room.

Given the price of this new-generation reusable surgical linen, it is imperative, from a cost standpoint, that each piece of linen stays in the system for as many processes as possible. Barrier efficiency, staining and holes are the three major quality concerns with these products.

I started using a washer-applied barrier retreatment product back in 1997. This product is added to the last step in the wash formula. Over the years, I have been surprised by how poorly this product has been accepted in the laundry market. I realize that the price for this product is high, but I believe that if the case for its use was properly laid out, everyone would use it.

Does a barrier retreatment product really work? It depends on the nature of the product you are using. There are basically three types of products on the market: wax-based, fluoropolymer-based, and a mixture of the two. I personally do not favor the use of any product that contains wax. The fluoropolymer adheres to the fibers only and, therefore, does not have an effect on the air permeability of the fabric. Also, it will not cause yellowing.

We conducted extensive Suter hydrostatic tests on reusable barrier linen, trying to determine the optimum wash formula. Our goal was to limit the amount of barrier loss on the fabrics while maintaining an acceptable rewash level. After a year of testing, we started using a barrier retreatment product and continued with our regular barriertesting program. We conclusively proved that the barrier retreatment product eliminated the loss of barrier.

In the case of barrier operating room wrappers and barrier isolation gowns, we actually saw an increase in their barrier properties from when they were new. We tested barrier isolation gowns that had been processed more than 100 times, and the barrier on the gown was better than the day it came out of the box. We also tracked our rewash and found that our rates went down at the same time.

The Gore-Tex® surgeon gown, at first glance, would appear to be an item that does not need a barrier retreatment product. The barrier is created by a thin piece of Teflon™ sandwiched between two layers of 100% polyester fiber. The fiber is treated with a waterrepellent product during manufacturing. Why would the maker treat the polyester with a barrier treatment when the barrier nature of the gown is based on the Teflon™ in the middle layer? The reason is that polyester fibers love oil.

As I mentioned earlier, the barrier on the polyester panels is

From

COLUMNIST AT LARGE Eric L. Frederick, RLLD

• Allows the patient to remain in IV gown during imaging studies, and eliminates multiple inventories.

• Innovative plastic snaps do not interfere with magnets during imaging studies.

• The only plastic snap proven and guaranteed to withstand industrial laundering with 400 PSI extraction.

• 55% Cotton / 45% Polyester. Brushed inside for a soft touch.

• Generously oversized for modesty with plastic snaps at shoulders.

• Large chest pocket with oversized hidden access vent, for management of IV tubing and monitoring equipment.

Green Leaf Print

to the show change.

“There are a lot of different things happening in the world, and it seems like the pace is getting much, much quicker, so the show is recognizing that and keeping up with the times and trying to stay ahead of it,” says Mangano.

The name change to HX was made with a purpose. Mangano says show officials want people to talk about the experience they have at the show.

“The people who are on the event board are all hospitality executives and professionals and we work really hard every day in our hotels and in our businesses to create an experience for our guests. So we took that concept and applied it to the trade show business model,” he says.

“We want the attendees to come and have an experience where not only do they see the newest and latest and greatest, physically touch it, feel it, look at it, kick it, but also the opportunities, the learning experiences and the experiences of meeting the leaders in the field and talking to the thought leaders and those who are changing things, getting that whole experience, too.

“That’s where the experience part of it came from.”

NEW SHOW FLOOR AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

To create that new experience, show officials decided to redo everything associated with it, from the floor to the education opportunities.

“From a big-picture strategy, we’re redesigning the trade show floor and providing a more fresh education strategy all designed to bring more value to the attendee, more reason to spend more time on the trade show floor,” says Phil Robinson, event director with Hospitality Media Group (HMG).

He says that the show floor has been “remerchandised” into five categories. There will be a rooms division area, a services area, a technology area, a food and beverage area and a kitchen design area. Those are the five core areas of the show floor, productwise. The complete list of exhibitors is available at www.thehotelexperience.us

On the floor around the product areas, Robinson says there will be five branded ancillary activity areas that will provide both educational and networking opportunities. HX Onstage, both in the Hotel area and the Restaurant area, will host all of the educational sessions, presented in theaters on the show floor.

“A lot of them will be serious content, future trends, marketing, communications, strategy, but there will also be some that are fun,” says Robinson. “We’ve created a foodservice IQ game, which is a Jeopardy-like game where we’ll

have teams of kitchen design consultants and equipment dealers and distributors on teams competing for cash prizes.”

Many of the educational programs include industry partners, says Robinson. In addition, exhibitors will present “Product Spotlights.” These will be 20-minute presentations in the show floor theaters where Robinson says exhibitors can demonstrate the new products they brought to market.

Another area, HX Tech, will be devoted exclusively to technology. Here, there will be exhibitor- and attendee-generated content, along with expert technology content, Robinson says.

“It will also provide the opportunity for attendees who are looking for specific service areas with an opportunity to source through that,” he says. “So, if an attendee is looking for a property management system, we’ll offer concierge service that will give them some tips about property management systems, but it will also point them to vendors on the show floor that provide that specific product or service.”

The fourth area is called HX Studio. Robinson says it will be a TV production studio where industry leaders, from among vendors and attendees, will be interviewed.

“There will be TED-style type talks. Sometimes a panel,” says Robinson. “We’ll produce that content for use throughout the year, providing that information for the hospitality community. It’s really a forum to present the hospitality innovators and the up-andcoming stars of the industry.”

The fifth area on the show floor will be HX Connect. Robinson describes this area in this way: The show wants to try to extend the same amenity services that the hoteliers do to a guest.

“It will be a networking space where attendees can refresh, recharge, connect, meet colleagues,” he says. “It will also be where our three sponsor associations [American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the Hotel Association of New York City Inc. (HANYC), and the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA)] will be housed. This is designed to be a significant network space on the show floor.”

SOCIAL EVENTS

While the show is undergoing a transformation, its popular evening social events remain in place. Now in its 35th year, HX: The Hotel Experience’s Gold Key Award recognizes the most influential and innovative design work in every sector of the hospitality industry.

Finalists in 18 categories were announced in August, and winners will be revealed at the Gold Key Awards Gala, cocktail reception and dinner, Monday, Nov. 9, at the Waldorf Astoria in conjunction with BDNY and HX. The Designer of the Year will also be honored at this event.

On Nov. 7, join fellow hoteliers and industry suppliers for an evening of dinner and dancing at the JW Marriott Essex House, hosted by HANYC, prior to the opening of HX with entertainment by The Starlight Orchestra.

This event is a black-tie affair, and tickets are in high demand. Show officials recommend purchasing tickets early in order to reserve a seat or table.

EARLY RESPONSE

Both Mangano and Robinson say that early response to the rebranded show has been positive.

“I talked to a colleague in Buffalo who said he likes coming to the show, but this year he’s really excited to see what the changes are and have [a] new experience,” says Mangano. “He says that he thinks this year, he’s going to stay longer to see more of it. It feels like this year, the show’s going to have more.”

Mangano says that attendees are going to see some things that are just coming out of the gate that might not change a business’ work structure this month or this quarter or next year. But, in a year or two, it will be a trend that’s going to continue and is going to change the way business is done.

“It’s a lot of services and amenities that will bring the experience to fruition on the show floor,” Robinson says. “We think these will help generate more people to come and more reason for those people to stay longer when they come. All of this will produce better interaction between exhibitors and attendees.” ALN

HX Exhibitors

Following is a list of HX exhibitors that offer products or services of interest to those engaged in laundry/linen services:

• Adorable Pillows, Brooklyn, N.Y.; booth 1945

• Boca Terry, Deerfield Beach, Fla.; booth 2329

• Cawley Co, Manitowoc, Wis.; booth 3050

• Chadsworth & Haig, Pageland, S.C.; booth 2636

• Chicago Dryer Co., Chicago; booth 2537

• CleanBrands LLC, Warwick, R.I.; booth 2350

• Discount Bedding Co., Macon, Ga.; booth 1863

• Ecolab, St. Paul, Minn.; booth 2719

• Fresh Wave IAQ, Long Grove, Ill.; booth 2237

• GBS Enterprises, Sutton, Neb.; booth 2129

• Hamilton Engineering, Livonia, Mich.; booth 2265

• Harbor Linen, Gibbsboro, N.J.; booth 1719

• Harris Pillow, Beaufort, S.C.; booth 1855

• HD Supply, San Diego, Calif.; booth 2319

• Joya Distributing Inc.–LAURASTAR, Medford, Ore.; booth 2843

• Monarch Cypress, South Plainfield, N.J.; booth 1846

• Newell Rubbermaid, Woodstock, Ga.; booth 2215

• Odorstop, Hamburg, N.Y.; booth 1800

• Olympic Linen and Laundry Service, Bellmawr, N.J.; booth 2225

• P&G Professional, Cincinnati; booth 1711

• Pellerin Milnor Corp., Kenner, La.; booth 2539

• Pluslux, Inwood, N.Y.; booth 2242

• Protect-A-Bed, Wheeling, Ill.; booth 2013

• Reverie, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; booth 1901

• Sintex Sales USA, Woodland Hills, Calif.; booth 1867

• Sunflower Hometex Inc., Sterling, Va.; booth 2051

• UniMac, Ripon, Wis.; booth 2148

• Welspun USA, New York, N.Y.; booth 2437

• White Towel Services, Fort Worth, Texas; booth 2426

• Xeros Inc., Manchester, N.H.; booth 2037

HX show officials expect attendees will stay longer and see more of the show. (Photos: Richard Cadan)

Food and beverage is one of five categories on the trade show floor.

Show officials have spoken with attendees anxious to experience the new show.

TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE.

Happy with the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of his first Girbau Industrial (GI) tunnel system, Rick Rone of Laundry Plus maintains the decision to invest in a second identical system was a no-brainer. He likes the security they bring.

By adding a second GI tunnel system and moving equipment from two buildings into one, Rone enjoys streamlined production. The new plant – with its arsenal of high-performance equipment – opens the floodgates to new business, ensures backup in case of a mechanical failure, and allows Rone to launch a new linen rental program.

Since moving to the new plant and installing its second tunnel, another ironing line and additional open-pocket washers, Laundry Plus has boosted pounds of laundry per operator hour (PPOH) by 15-18 percent.

Rick Rone

Laundry Plus, Bradenton, Florida

Tools f the Trade

New flame-resistant fabric collections introduced to

Mount Vernon FR introduces two new flame-resistant (FR) fabric collections: MY•FR custom yarndyed stripes and plaids and Nanuq CWI (Cold Weather Insulation) quilted fabrics. These new programs will help meet the growing demand for FR clothing used to protect workers from potential hazards posed by electric arc flash and flash fires, according to the company.

The new yarn-dyed stripes and plaids will be part of Mount Vernon FR’s custom-designed MY•FR program and will be made using the brand’s 7.25-ounce AMTEX® PLUS 88% cotton/12% nylon FR fabric, which will be ASTM F1506 compliant, NFPA 70E category 2 and NFPA 2112 component recognized.

Mount Vernon FR says that yarn-dyed fabrics provide improved durability and pattern integrity through the rigors of industrial laundering compared

to printed fabric, offering customers a more premium option for their patterned FR apparel. Each customer-specific design will require a minimum of 5,000 yards of fabric, says the company, which will yield approximately 3,000 finished shirts.

Nanuq CWI is Mount Vernon FR’s new line of quilted FR fabrics. The face of these fabrics will use the brand’s 88% cotton/12% nylon AMTEX PLUS FR fabric or 100% cotton AMTEX C100 FR fabric, and will initially be offered in 10-ounce, 13-ounce and 14-ounce weights. All Nanuq CWI quilted fabrics will be NFPA 2112 component recognized, the company says.

www.mvmfr.com 706-734-4815

Fall apparel collection features 120 new products

SanMar Corp. has launched its fall product lines, and its latest collection includes more than 120 allnew garment styles added for fall and winter sales.

Highlighting the launch is a major Port & Company expansion, including a new Pigment-Dyed collection of tees, tanks and sweatshirts, says the company.

Building on its January SportTek launch, SanMar says it is rolling out a Shield Ripstop outerwear collection and expanding the PosiCharge RacerMesh and Sport-Wick offerings. SanMar also continues to offer outerwear

that is functional and technical, including soft shell jackets, weather-fighting powerhouses and trend-right fleece.

“Our new product launch is designed to take advantage of fall sales opportunities, from school and team gear to performance outerwear,” says Lee Strom, senior marketing manager at SanMar. “And we doubled down on our basics, expanded tie-dye options, camo and pigment dyed.”

www.sanmar.com 800-426-6399

Branded covers add visual appeal to housekeeping carts

Tingue, Brown & Co. has developed branded utility cart covers that the company says lends high-end, visual appeal to ordinary vinyl, canvas and plastic utility carts.

The company says it developed the cart covers for housekeeping, maintenance and aquatics managers in hotels, resorts, spas, health clubs, cruise ships and other properties.

The branded utility cart covers feature the property’s logo screen printed with a choice of text and imagery on a patch and sewn onto a durable, waterresistant, vinyl or nylon cover.

The branded cart covers are custom-sized and sewn to fit easily around any size of utility cart from any manufacturer, according to Tingue.

“When you operate a luxury hotel property, it’s

vital that everything is cleanly presented and looks sharp,” says Garett Cumming, assistant laundry manager, Casino Rama, in Rama, Ontario, Canada. “These cart covers allow us to turn ordinary housekeeping carts into attractive, branded carts that we’re proud to use in full view of our guests. They also protect the carts so they last longer.”

The branded cart covers are available in a wide range of colors and materials and are manufactured in the company’s Peachtree City, Ga., facility.

www.tinguebrownco.com 800-829-3864

Manufacturers: Have you introduced a new product? Revamped your system? Released a new catalog? E-mail your product news, along with a high-resolution image, to mpoe@atmags.com and we’ll consider publishing your news free in Tools of the Trade.

Pellerin Milnor Corp. has released its M-Series WasherExtractors brochure, which high-

lights the company’s 48040 M7K, 68036 M5K and 72046 M5K models.

The brochure details the features of the M-Series, including the SmoothCoil™ suspension system, 21-degree two-way tilting for efficient loading and unloading, intelligent bearing design, and intuitive MilTouch-EX™ touchscreen control.

The company says M-Series washer-extractors also feature an optional integrated load chute door for automated washer-extractor systems.

www.milnor.com 504-712-7656

Tech support videos illustrate proper emblem heat-sealing techniques

Penn Emblem Co. offers a variety of technical support videos on how to use heatseal machines and emblems to embellish garments for the promotional, laundry and uniform markets, the company says.

The videos help customers get the most out of emblems to reflect the image of their company, Penn Emblem says. The company says its most popular video is on bottom heat sealing, in which it reviews correct temperatures, heating times, emblem placement and more.

In each video, Penn Emblem’s technical support team takes viewers step by step through the process, showing best practices to get the most out of their garment, emblem or any other heat-sealable item.

www.pennemblem.com 800-793-7366

Device designed to speed soiled-laundry collection without risk of injury

Penco Products Inc. has launched the BackSaver Garment Lift, a device that the company says speeds collection of soiled laundry while reducing chance of back injury by route service agents.

According to the company, a spring-loaded platform fits into new and existing Penco Maxi Laundry Lockups and continually lifts soiled laundry to waist height, eliminating the need for repeated bending motions to collect individual garments or bundles of laundry.

“The BackSaver Garment Lift was invented under the direction of the Penco Center for Design

Excellence,” says Jeff Haines, marketing director for Penco. “We expect this innovation to help increase our customers’ route service efficiency and reduce costly work-related back injuries.”

www.pencoproducts.com 385-265-2990

Brochure highlights line of washerextractors designed for high production

meet growing demand

When dealing with laundry stains, your reputation rides on getting the outstanding results The Laundry Two deliver. RiteGo® laundry spray spotter quickly penetrates to absorb collar & cuff stains, perspiration, ground-in soil and more, all without brushing. Turn to Laundry TarGo® to remove any tough oil based stains that remain behind.

Use The Laundry Two with confidence on shirts, wedding gowns... anything you're washing or wetcleaning.

Both Laundry TarGo and RiteGo are chlorinated-solvent free, biodegradable, noncombustible and California 2013 VOC and Prop-65 compliant.

Use them to deliver stain-free laundry and wetcleaning. You'll build your reputation for quality - which is what keeps customers coming back.

Coyne’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case progressing, has buyers for all plants

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Coyne International Enterprises Corp. (Coyne), a U.S. commercial laundry service company, is progressing in its Chapter 11 case filed here in July in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York, and remains on track to complete three planned sales of its operating units in a balance sheet restructuring, the company reports in a press release.

The company says the three planned sales are: New Bedford, Mass., which will be sold to Clean Uniforms and More!; Richmond, Va., and Greenville, S.C., which will be

sold to Prudential Overall Supply; and the remaining plants and service centers— Bristol, Tenn.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Cleveland; London, Ky.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and York, Pa.— which will be acquired by Coyne’s existing senior management team. All of the sales are subject to higher and better bids, the company adds.

Coyne is operating under the supervision of the Bankruptcy Court, and Coyne’s current management team is leading the company throughout the Chapter 11 process. Coyne recently filed notices under

the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act); these were part of ensuring a seamless transition to buyers with no service interruption to customers.

“The WARN Act filings were a formality because there will be a change of control in Coyne’s business entities,” says Mark Samson, Coyne’s CEO. “There are buyers lined up for all of Coyne’s facilities. There are two locations that could be impacted by possible layoffs—New Bedford, Mass., and Greenville, S.C. Under the existing deal,

approximately 525 jobs will be preserved out of approximately 620 positions.”

Subject to Bankruptcy Court approval, NXT Capital LLC has agreed to provide Coyne with $3.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing to finance the company’s operations in Chapter 11.

Herrick, Feinstein LLP is representing Coyne as lead bankruptcy counsel. Phillips Lytle LLP is local counsel. Coyne’s financial adviser is CohnReznick LLP, and its investment banker is SSG Capital Advisors LLC.

to the company.

MINNEAPOLIS — AmeriPride Services, a textile rental services and supply company, has made available its first-ever Corporate Responsibility Report

The report outlines key programs and initiatives the company says it is implementing as part of its commitment to environmental sustainability, the health and safety of its employees and the well-being of the communities it serves.

“We’re excited to share this snapshot of our efforts to be a sustainability leader in the industry and have a positive impact in the communities we serve,” says Bill Evans, president and CEO of AmeriPride. “As one of the larger

players in the industry, the family ownership and management at AmeriPride believe it’s our responsibility to use our available resources to test and help advance new environmentally friendly technologies. We are also committed to the overall wellness of our employees and communities, which we demonstrate through industry-leading safety programs and community outreach.”

Evans adds that by striving to set the standard for clean operations—both in its facilities and on the roads—the company is often able to pass efficiency and value on to customers. Recent environmental achievements outlined in the report include:

• Fleet enhancements and alternative-fuel vehicles have reduced the emissions by more than 152 metric tons.

• Solar panels in AmeriPride’s New England branch have reduced its carbon footprint by 162 metric tons per year.

• Water heater and boiler improvements have lowered costs and reduced the carbon footprint by 821 metric tons.

• Heat reclamation equipment is expected to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by more than 1,000 metric tons.

The Corporate Responsibility Report also outlines AmeriPride’s efforts to maintain a safe culture for employees in its headquarters,

facilities and fleet, such as a comprehensive safety-training program, voluntary facility inspections and safety and health committees at every branch, according

It has also installed advanced telematics technology in all company vehicles, which provides verbal coaching to drivers in real time and provides notifications to management if safety guidelines are not followed.

Finally, the report details the ways AmeriPride’s branches give back and strengthen ties with their local communities, including an annual, company-wide “Day of Service,” during which employees volunteered more than 6,000 hours to local organizations in 2014, according to the company.

In addition, the company says it supports its employees through an employee assistance program, continuing education and a rewarding culture that reflects AmeriPride’s family values. ALN

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Tours of Unitex Textile Rental Services’ laundries highlight the agenda for the Textile Rental Services Association’s (TRSA) upcoming Healthcare Conference, which will take place Nov. 17-18 in New Brunswick, N.J.

TRSA says the tours of Unitex, which has separate bulk and garment operations under a single roof in New Brunswick, will enhance the annual event’s value in guiding attendees toward achieving industry-leading productivity in processing.

Based in Mount Vernon, N.Y., and serving medical providers in that state as well as New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, Unitex is recognized as the fastest-growing U.S. launderer 100% dedicated to healthcare, according to the association. The company attributes its growth primarily to organization-wide dedication to measurement and consistency, ensuring that strong engineering pays off.

TOUR VIEWS

Conference participants will view workflow in each plant that proceeds smoothly thanks to efficient layout with proper capacity at each stage of processing, as well as two daily maintenance shifts, with production

working one 10-hour shift, seven days a week.

These visits and sessions at the conference previewing the tours and wrapping them up will cover a wide variety of issues in productivity of plant processing. A Unitex-led plant design/layout discussion will take place the day before the tours. A debrief will immediately follow them. Much of the rest of the agenda will be dedicated to marketing and service discussions.

In the 60,000-square-foot Unitex bulk laundry, where the company’s characteristic extensive use of ceiling height (“the cube”) makes a large plant seem smaller, the company’s personnel will show visitors how:

• Energy use is roughly 40% of a typical healthcare laundry.

• Reject percentage is low.

• Soil sorting isn’t interrupted when bags fill and depart.

• Flow of new goods and rewash into mainline production is minimally disruptive.

• Employee personal hygiene and wellbeing are given high priority.

In the 40,000-square-foot garment plant, which operates more like an industrial laundry than a linen supply operation, the Unitex team will demonstrate how:

• Tunnel washing processes a wide variety of garment fabrics and colors.

• High speed is achieved with the highestquality finish.

• Automated sorting drives high-efficiency bundling of folded, packed or hung garments—personalized and bulk.

• Specials, additions and replacements blend smoothly into route/account makeup.

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

The keynote will be delivered by Thomas Royer, M.D., the architect of CHRISTUS Health, one of North America’s leading

Catholic systems, TRSA says. He’ll explain the urgent need for all healthcare-related organizations to transform in light of the Affordable Care Act and other market forces, including specific implications for the laundry industry, such as possible new growth venues.

Panel discussions will feature speakers from the industry examining executive strategic planning perspectives, product developments and services strategies.

Other general and breakout session topics will cover:

• Fitting a laundry business into the new healthcare model.

• How laundries cope when customers re-affiliate.

• How TRSA promotes Hygienically Clean certification to healthcare professionals.

• New TRSA video guiding healthcare workers on handling soiled linen.

• RFID technology for linen.

Conference sessions will begin at 7 a.m. Nov. 17 at the host hotel, the Hilton Hotel and Executive Center in East Brunswick. These continue until 4:30 p.m., followed by a reception. The Unitex tours take place the following morning with activity returning to the hotel for the debrief and the executive panel discussion, ending before lunch. ALN

Employee safety and health is covered in AmeriPride’s Corporate Responsibility Report (Photo: AmeriPride)

Annual Textile Care Allied Trades Assn. conference deemed success, organizers say

Activities included business sessions, board elections, honors

NAPA, Calif. — The 2015 Annual Management & Educational Conference of the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA) was “clearly an overwhelming success,” say conference organizers.

With another good turnout of first-time attendees for the July 29-Aug. 1 event here at the Silverado Resort & Spa, members enjoyed a strong business program, beautiful weather, a memorable dinner party at a local winery and much more, TCATA says.

The business sessions covered a variety of topics. Lead speaker and industry veteran Steve Kallenbach, director of market solutions at ADI American Dawn, discussed key ways that companies can both delight their customers and “onboard” new customers.

The following day, Dr. Chris Keuhl, a managing director of Armada Corporate Intelligence, presented the good, the bad and the ugly of the national and global economy in a humorous and easily understood manner. Closing out the business program was Rory Vaden, co-founder of Southwestern Consulting, who outlined how everyone needs to “take the stairs,” doing what is necessary to succeed in life and business.

Attendees gathered one evening at the historic V. Sattui Winery for a reception and dinner, making for another memorable event, TCATA says, where old friendships were renewed and new ones made.

Three member companies celebrating anniversaries were honored at the closing dinner:

Fabritec International, which is celebrating 75 years of TCATA membership; Horwath Laundry Equipment, celebrating 50 years of TCATA membership; and The Minnesota Chemical Company,

celebrating its 100th year in business.

Also during that dinner, President Steve Mathews announced that Alex Atwater, president of A-1 Products in Birmingham, Ala., will serve as chairman of the 2016 annual conference. Atwater has been active in TCATA for many years, including serving on the board of directors, on various confer-

ence committees and as president in 2006-08. In 2005, he received the “Young Timer of the Year” award, according to the association.

TCATA members also elected two new officers for the board of directors. Gerald Henke of Intex Distributing, Austin, Texas, was elected president-elect; Henry Padron of Industrial Equipment & Supplies, Miami, was elected

treasurer-elect. Both will assume their two-year terms at the conclusion of the 2016 conference. Henke has served on several committees, several terms on the board of directors and as chairman of the 2008 TCATA conference, according to the association. Padron has served on the board of directors and was chairman of the 2014 TCATA conference. ALN

Attendees of the 2015 Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA) Annual Conference listened to speakers presenting on topics such as gaining new customers, doing what needs to be done to succeed, and the national and global economy. (Photos: TCATA)

TCATA President Steve Mathews presents Jim and Kay Horwath with an award honoring Horwath Laundry Equipment’s 50th anniversary as members of TCATA.

TCATA President Steve Mathews presents Steve and Lisa Baker with a silver tray commemorating Minnesota Chemical’s 100th year in business.

TCATA President Steve Mathews presented Steve Pedelty of M&B Hangers, Leeds, Ala., with a commemorative pen and pencil set in thanks for his service on the TCATA Board of Directors.

Yalda Harris (A-1 Products), Crystal Williams (American Laundry Products), Rachel Jones (daughter of Lawton Jones of F.H. Bonn) and Laura Hardin-Jones (F.H. Bonn) try their hand at painting during the Wine and Canvas spouse/guest program at the 2015 TCATA Annual Management & Educational Conference at Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa Valley, Calif.

Six former TCATA presidents and the current president at the 2015 TCATA Annual Management and Educational Conference: (from left) Lawton Jones of F.H. Bonn, Rick Kelly of Pellerin Milnor Corp., Alex Atwater of A-1 Products, Steve Mathews of M&B Hangers (current president), Bruce Johnson of Chicago Dryer Co., Bryant Dunivan of Energenics Corp. and Bill Odorizzi of Sankosha USA.

The price of equipment only accounts for a small percentage of your total laundry costs. In fact, over 80% of laundry operational costs go beyond up-front machine expenses. Things like labor, utilities and linen replacement are where the real money is spent. But most decision makers have no idea exactly how much they’re spending on these factors. Until now. TotalVue ™ powered by UniLinc ™ is a revolutionary tool that measures virtually every detail of your laundry operation and delivers that data to you in easy-tounderstand, easy-toaccess reports. Now, you can see exactly how much you’re spending per pound of laundry, making it fast and easy to make adjustments that have an immediate impact on your bottom line. It’s time to start running your laundry like you run the rest of your business. Learn more at UniMac.com/TotalVue.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO DO LAUNDRY, YOU’RE MISSING OVER 80% OF THE STORY.

Denver area hotel owner upgrades equipment in one fell swoop

BY BI LL BR OO KS

DENVER — For many hotel owners, their on-premises laundry room is an afterthought. The attitude of “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” is common when referring to their laundry equipment, but old machines with outdated technology could be hindering your operation’s efficiency potential and hurting your bottom line.

It’s easy to underestimate the importance of a well-run laundry room with the proper equipment, but it could make all the difference when it comes to labor and utility costs, employee morale and guest satisfaction.

One person who understands the importance of an efficient laundry operation is Bruce Rahmani, a hotel owner with 34 years of hospitality industry experience. His journey to hotel ownership began in 1981, when he worked as a busboy at a hotel restaurant while he worked toward earning his master of business administration and doctorate degrees. He worked his way up the ladder, becoming a hotel manager and eventually an owner. He now owns 43 mid-tier, Wyndham- and Choicebrand hotels in this area, with another three hotels under construction.

Laundry is an essential component of any hotel’s operation. Linens need to be cleaned, and the more efficiently you can do this, the better. For the last two years, Rahmani has focused his attention on laundry efficiency through equipment replacement, and now is reaping the rewards.

REALIZING A NEED FOR CHANGE

Until last year, Rahmani’s hotels featured myriad mismatched laundry equipment of different sizes, models, brands and ages. This created several issues that were negatively affecting the bottom line of his hotels’ laundry operations.

Training housekeeping staff on laundry protocol was difficult and not standardized, as each machine came with different features and required its own set of instructions, according to Rahmani. Employees often became frustrated with the equipment, and, consequently, Rahmani noticed a relatively high turnover rate with his housekeeping staff.

Additionally, the longevity of the hotel linens varied depending on the machines they were washed and dried in. As clean, attractive, soft linens are an important factor in guest satisfaction, Rahmani found himself having to purchase new linens more frequently to ensure they met guest requirements.

“As a multi-hotel owner, I’m always looking for opportunities to improve business processes and increase my return on investment,” he says. “I did my research and knew that standardizing my hotels’ laundry operations with state-of-the-art equipment and advanced technologies would improve efficiency across the board.”

His machines may have been operational, but Rahmani knew they weren’t functioning at the level that he needed to achieve the maximum efficiency he desired. Facing a tough labor market and rising utility and linen costs, Rahmani turned to a local laundry equipment distributor, Clean Designs in Lakewood, Colo., to learn how the right machines could help him save time, money and resources.

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

Rahmani was serious about finding the right laundry equipment that he could buy and install across all of his hotels to ensure consistency.

“At the time, most of my old machines were still working, which made me hesitant to throw them away,” he says. “But my goal was to improve productivity and efficien-

It was important for Rahmani to choose laundry equipment that would be able to

cy, and I knew upgrading my equipment would help me achieve that.”

effectively clean linens and have the proper technologies to evolve with industry trends.

Hotel owner Bruce Rahmani says moisture-sensing technology in his new dryers keeps him from worrying about scorching sheets. (Photos: Alliance Laundry Systems)

Rahmani changed washers throughout his hotels, purchasing 48 new machines.

Describes how replacing equipment reduced labor, utility costs, improved employee/guest satisfaction

XXL POWER. XS OPERATING COSTS.

Designed to stand up to the demands of your delivery business, the S2G LPG Commercial Truck is the only factory-installed 8.0L liquid propane system on the market. Backed by the nationwide service network and 24/7 Direct support only available from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, it offers lower operational costs, lower emissions and powerful performance. All so you can upsize the savings of a real work truck.

OPL 101

For example, when Rahmani started in the hotel business, beds were typically made with two sheets and a bedspread. The hospitality industry has since changed, and it’s becoming standard practice to abandon the bedspread and instead make hotel beds with three sheets. In fact, many hotels require this of their franchisees and managers. This reality creates more laundry for housekeeping staff to clean in the same amount of time as before, which can cause issues such as limited capacity and increased labor costs.

On top of these requirements, Rahmani wanted equipment that would allow him to save money by using less water and energy. His goal was to increase throughput without having to buy more machines.

STANDARDIZING LAUNDRY OPERATIONS ACROSS HOTELS

After considering his options with his distributor, Rahmani chose a brand that specializes in on-premises laundry equipment and also provided the technology he required to increase his efficiency and preserve his linens.

“I made the decision based on the quality of the product and what I knew it would do for my business,” Rahmani explains. “If you aren’t keeping up with the latest technology and equipment advancements, you’re missing the boat.”

Surgical

Continued from Page 4

gradually removed during each process and can be significantly compromised in as few as 10 washings.

What is the cost of having to retire a $75 gown early versus using a barrier retreatment product? If the gown is expected to get 75 uses during its life, the product cost per use is $1 per use. The cost of using a barrier retreatment program is about 5 cents per use. This would raise the per-use product cost to $1.05.

If, however, the gown becomes unusable after, say, 50 uses, the actual product cost is $1.50 per use. If you are using an aggressive wash formula and only get 25 uses before it becomes stained, then the

With the help of the manufacturer’s in-house financing, Rahmani purchased 48 washers and 60 dryers in March 2015. He kept his new machines in a warehouse and began installing them at each of his hotels, one at a time. During this process, Ecolab worked as a partner to install the new machines at no charge. In a period of just six months, Rahmani was able to upgrade all of his hotels with new laundry equipment and has just as quickly begun to notice improvements in employee morale and guest satisfaction, as well as efficiency and cost savings.

Normally, it would have been a risk to finance such a large batch of equipment all at once, but Rahmani found working with his equipment manufacturer’s finance program to be the best option to allow him to see results more quickly. The company is familiar with on-premises laundering and was able to tailor a financing package that fit Rahmani’s needs.

“Credit approval was easy and quick, and the cost of interest is minimal compared to the volume of savings I have seen in labor costs and other expenses,” Rahmani says.

IMPROVING RETURN ON INVESTMENT

With more efficient equipment, shorter wash and dry cycles, and less water and energy usage, Rahmani is saving a considerable amount of money on utility bills, he says.

He has also witnessed enhanced employ-

ee morale with the addition of new equipment. His laundry operations are much more organized than they were before, and laundry doesn’t get backed up like it used to.

Rahmani noted that his previous equipment often tangled towels and sheets, causing his housekeeping staff to spend a considerable amount of time untangling them. His staff is significantly happier now that the more advanced equipment works to eliminate some of the more cumbersome activities that had been dealt with. Rahmani’s new machines feature various technologies that help automate the washing and drying process, removing the guesswork from the laundry operation.

soft. He doesn’t have to buy new linens as often as he used to. Guests have even commented that linens look ironed, when they actually come out of the dryer that way, he says.

The new washer-extractors are capable of producing industry-leading G-force speeds, reducing the amount of moisture in the load before it even reaches the dryer and further shortening cycle times overall.

Increased G-force extraction also further reduces utility costs. The improved efficiency allows Rahmani’s housekeeping staff to be able to work fewer hours and still complete their necessary duties, reducing labor costs.

cost is $3 per use. Based on my math, the break-even point on using the product is set at four additional uses of the gown.

It is clear that the cost of using a barrier retreatment product on new-generation reusable barrier linen can quickly be covered by the extended life of the garments. It also provides a quality assurance program that will be appreciated by your end-users.

“The technology on these modernized machines has allowed the laundry process to become automated and efficient, which makes my employees happy,” he says. “Because our new dryers turn off automatically when the load is dry, our housekeeping staff no longer needs to continuously open the door to check if the linens are still wet and don’t have to worry about overdrying our linens anymore.”

“Before this equipment upgrade, I would have employees working in the laundry room from 6 a.m. to midnight,” says Rahmani. “Now they’re gone by 7 or 8 p.m., which is great for both parties.”

Overall, in comparing last year’s peak season numbers with this year’s, Rahmani sees an impactful difference.

ALN

Eric Frederick is director of laundry services for Carilion Laundry Service, Roanoke, Va., and a past president and manager of the year of the Association for Linen Management. You can reach him by e-mail at efrederick@carilion.com.

With features like moisturesensing technology that automatically stops the machine when linens are dry, Rahmani doesn’t have to worry about scorching his sheets by letting them sit in a hot dryer for longer than is necessary. Linens last longer while continuing to look and feel fresh and

“I am very happy with my decision to replace my laundry machines,” he says. “I think it’s one of the greatest investments I have ever made as a hotel owner.” ALN

Bill Brooks is North American sales manager for UniMac®, a provider of on-premises laundry equipment. To learn more about UniMac, visit www.unimac.com/opl101 or call 800-587-5458.

Hotel guests have commented that their sheets look like they’ve been ironed because of the new equipment, according to Rahmani.

Brooks

Sodexo, UC Health tap Lavatec tunnel system for Midwest Laundry

Laud fast, seamless transition from old to new equipment

BEACON FALLS, Conn. — “It was a workhorse, a really good piece of equipment, but after the 15-year mark, we decided to switch.”

That’s Tom Daskalakis, vice president and COO, University of Cincinnati Health system (UC Health), speaking about a recently replaced 14-module tunnel washer from Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc.

UC Health owns Midwest Laundry and, in turn, the equipment providing clean linen for the system’s hospitals and others in the southwest Ohio-northern Kentucky-southeast Indiana area.

“We’re the region’s only ‘academic’ health system providing high acuity care,” Daskalakis says.

UC Health includes four entities: University of Cincinnati Medical Center, West Chester Hospital, Drake Hospital (a long-term care facility) and UC Physicians, which employs about a thousand providers.

Midwest Laundry processes more than 15 million pounds of linen each year, about one-third of which is for UC Health’s own facilities. The balance of goods comes from other area hospitals as far north as Dayton, Ohio, and from more than 120 clinics, eight senior living centers and several hospitality operations.

Built in 1990, the 45,000-squarefoot facility also houses a 20-yearold Lavatec tunnel, and 85 employees turn out clean linens for timely deliveries seven days a week.

A key partner in this scenario is Sodexo, a $16.6 billion global corporation in quality of life services (food service, environmental services and facilities management), which include laundry and other healthcare operations. Sodexo manages Midwest Laundry, a forprofit arm of UC Health, as well as similar facilities in about a dozen U.S. cities, coast to coast.

Jim Byrnes, district manager for Sodexo Laundry, says, “We have Lavatec equipment in most of them. It seems to be simpler with fewer moving parts than others, and it works very well.”

COMPETITIVE BIDS

Nevertheless, despite being the incumbent brand and having provided 21/2 decades of noteworthy service, Lavatec wasn’t a shoo-in for the new tunnel—far from it.

“All manufacturers have their own unique programming and

features,” says Byrnes. “We’re responsible to our clients, in this case UC Health. Our task is to find the best match for its ongoing customer needs.”

Steve Roark, Sodexo’s client relations manager, adds, “We’re here to protect and enhance UC Health assets—not only physical, in terms of equipment, but also their reputation along with Midwest Laundry’s. We’re like a ‘silent partner.’”

Sodexo requested competitive tunnel system bids, did due diligence and narrowed the choice down to three systems, including Lavatec’s.

“We pushed them to the top level at UC Health, with our recommendation, for their final decision,” Byrnes says.

Several factors figured strongly in UC Health’s choice, Daskalakis says, one being the “history of the current service” extending beyond performance of the 15-year-old Lavatec tunnel itself.

“Parts availability and service: we’ve had no issues with getting parts or timely response from Lavatec over the years,” he says. “Although Lavatec is a Germanbased company, they provide easy access to what we need in the U.S.”

This contributes to overall vendor reputation, another key factor for UC Health, along with cost of equipment and ease of installation, according to Daskalakis.

More than that were “reductions in tangibles that we will see” from the new system—which includes the 14-module, 110pound Lavatec tunnel washer; an LP 572 40-bar hydraulic extraction press; and five Lavatec TT 745 natural gas dryers, says Daskalakis. “We expect major reductions in electrical costs, gas costs and water usage.”

Another LP 572 press, for Midwest’s second Lavatec tunnel, also was part of the overall project.

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Once the decision was made, Sodexo and Lavatec moved quickly, globally as well as locally, to make it all happen.

The new tunnel washer itself was on its way from the Lavatec plant in short order, largely due to Laser-Guided Drum Manufacturing. This automated robotic welding method not only provides tighter tolerances, uniform welds and stronger, tighter,

Sodexo and University of Cincinnati Health system (UC Health) zeroed in on this 14-module tunnel washer to anchor processing of more than 15 million pounds of linen annually at Midwest Laundry. (Photos: Lavatec Laundry Technology)

Removal of Midwest Laundry’s old tunnel and installation of the new system (tunnel washer, extraction press, two-cake shuttle and five dryers) was completed in 10 days.

Five TT 745 natural gas dryers are part of Midwest Laundry’s new tunnel system.

Two new Lavatec LP 572 extraction presses play key roles in boosting productivity while reducing costs for UC Health’s Midwest Laundry operation.

longer-lasting seals, it also speeds up tunnel construction and delivery time dramatically, Lavatec says.

Meanwhile, at Midwest Laundry, “Planning and preparation was the key,” says Byrnes. “We relied on Lavatec and their experience for much of it. They identified the time frame and what we needed to do internally to make sure our customers didn’t experience any downtime or service blips at all.”

Step one, in terms of actual installation, was bringing in the new LP 572 extraction press for the 15-year-old Lavatec tunnel.

“They did that over a weekend,” Byrnes says. “This helped tremendously in keeping goods moving during the transition. Compatibility of the new press with our older tunnel as well as Lavatec’s new tunnel technology is a real plus.”

Next came the big switch: dismantling and removing the old tunnel and covering the same footprint with the new unit—right through the wall separating the facility’s soiled- and clean-linen processing areas. At the same time, crews removed and replaced other old system components, including five dryers and a conveyor, all while Midwest continued to process and deliver about 50,000 pounds of clean linen daily.

Roark says, “We were running 24 hours, seven days a week” with the other Lavatec tunnel, and offset some goods to another facility “to ensure that all linens were pushed through in a timely manner.”

Pressure began to ease a bit on the eighth day, when Midwest “did a soft start with the new tunnel,” Byrnes says. The pace picked up quickly and, with the LP 572 press, a two-cake shuttle and five-dryer bank in place, the new system was in full swing.

CUSTOMERS OBLIVIOUS TO TRANSITION

Midwest Laundry staff members were universal in their praise of the transition process, including Production Manager Jim Robinson.

“It went so smoothly and so quickly, we were done and producing and customers would say, ‘What? You had a new machine come in? We didn’t miss a thing,’” he says.

Harley Caum, chief engineer and maintenance supervisor, says, “We were able to keep up with demands by running the other tunnel 24/7 for about seven days. By then, the new system was pretty much ready to go.”

Roark says, “We worked through those 10 days without customers even knowing that the process was being performed.”

“Not knowing” also includes Daskalakis.

“I wasn’t exactly sure when the tunnel itself was going in,” he says. “I called Jim (Byrnes) to ask and he said, ‘We’re almost done; we’re

in the eighth day now.’ That’s how smoothly it went.”

SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS AND MORE

Those “reductions in tangibles” Daskalakis was anticipating haven’t been far behind.

“We compared water meter readings to this time last year,” says Byrnes. “There was at least a 20% reduction in water usage the first month alone.”

“We expect great utility savings,” says Daskalakis, “with all tunnel system components contributing.”

The hydraulic press “pushes a

lot more moisture content out, which means less time in the dryers,” says Caum. The dryers themselves are equipped with multiplephase temperature controls and infrared sensors that “really help a lot on energy efficiency. They cut our dry times by 10 minutes or more per load.”

Even at full dryer capacity (292 pounds each), with the laundry processing about 50,000 pounds of linen daily, it translates to 28.5 fewer hours of drying time and energy savings.

“For some items, dry times have been cut in half. For sheets, it’s just a fraction of what it used

to be, because you want to leave them a little moist before going through the ironers,” says Byrnes. “In fact, after the press, there’s little reason to put sheets into dryers other than to break the cake.”

“The name of the game in healthcare is to provide outstanding quality at the lowest possible cost,” says Daskalakis. “Laundry is a key cost component, and this system definitely helps.”

MOVING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK

Midwest Laundry hosted an open house for customers recently, a chance for all to see the new

Lavatec system in action. For UC Health, Sodexo and Midwest people, it was also an opportunity to reflect on the magnitude of their collaborative accomplishment with Lavatec Laundry Technology.

“They were able to get the old tunnel removed, the entire new tunnel system in, up and running within 10 days,” says Byrnes. “They worked with us to keep everything under budget, including additional equipment. And no one was really affected at all in terms of linen deliveries.”

“From an owner’s perspective, it was seamless,” Daskalakis says. ALN

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

GUESTROOM LINENS

SIGMATEX-LANIER TEXTILES

Royal Crest Resort Towels by Sigmatex-Lanier Textiles are made on shuttle-less looms of 100% ring-spun cotton, according to the company.

Sigmatex-Lanier Textiles says that while the Resort dobby towels are luxuriously soft, they are also designed and manufactured to handle repeated commercial launderings while maintaining softness and absorbency at an affordable price.

the company says is exclusively from Villa di Borghese.

The ensemble is made from 100% combed cotton, according to the company, and features a checkered jacquard design and large, reinforced dobby end hems for washing durability.

Sorrento comes fully stocked in bath sheets, bath towels, hand towels, face cloths and tub mats, the company says. www.americandawn.com 800-821-2221

STANDARD TEXTILE

Vidori™, Standard Textile’s latest patent-pending sheeting product, may be a “gamechanger” for the luxury segment, says the company.

A classic dobby border design enhances the towels, and the hems are double stitched for durability, the company says. www.sigmatexlanier.com 212-593-0606

AMERICAN DAWN

American Dawn presents its Sorrento terry ensemble, which

Many luxury hotel guests desire the feel of 100% cotton sheets, but hotel managers recognize the high operational costs that go with cotton linen. This product is a solution for luxury properties that think 100% cotton is their only option, says Standard Textile.

In Vidori™ sheets, premium, long-staple, combed cotton yarn encapsulates synthetic microfilament bundles and ultra-soft polymer spun yarns. The face of the sheet is made up almost entirely of yarns that are soft, smooth, 100% cotton, Standard Textile says, and thanks to the proprietary core of the fabric, hoteliers benefit from significantly higher tensile strength and measurable laundry savings.

In a recent blind touch test, customers could not differentiate between high-threadcount, 100% cotton

sheeting and Vidori™, the company says.

www.standardtextile.com 800-999-0400

RIEGEL LINEN, A Division of Mount Vernon Mills

Riegel Linen, a division of Mount Vernon Mills, offers its Value Plus collection of terry bath linens designed specifically for the linen rental market.

Value Plus is available as a bath towel in two sizes—hand towel and washcloth, the company says.

Value Plus linens are made of 100% ringspun cotton for a touch that is soft and smooth, Riegel Linen says, and the towels have tucked selvages and a traditional cam border.

www.riegellinen.com 800-845-2232

THOMASTON MILLS

Thomaston Mills offers a full line of sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers and pillow shams in cotton/ polyester blends designed specifically with the hospitality and healthcare buyer in mind.

According to the company, its bed linen products are designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and sufficiently durable to withstand the rigors of

has a longer life span and lower cost per use than imports, the company adds.

Thomaston Mills says it stock products in “huge” quantities that are available for immediate shipment. Thus, they are not susceptible to shipping delays and quality inconsistencies one may encounter with imported products.

the commercial laundry process. The line is comprised of plain weave, sateen stripe and twill stripe weave products in a variety of thread counts and colors.

Thomaston Mills says its product quality is manifested in many facets: consistently white brightness, soft hand, better resistance to wrinkling and shrinkage, and consistent fabric weights.

This yields a product that

Customers may customize sheets and pillowcases to meet specific needs with low minimum-order requirements, the company says. www.thomastonmills.com 877-474-3300

CALIFORNIA TEXTILES

California Textiles’ Autumn line is made of 16 ring spun yarn in the weft, warp and pile for softness with durability, the company says, adding that the absorbency of the line surpasses most terry towels on the market today.

Since the towels are manufactured in its own mill and finishing houses, every shipment has consistent quality, the company says. The towels can also be downgraded for additional uses, it adds.

The Autumn line can be

COMPILED BY MATT POE, EDITOR [American Dawn]

[Sigmatex-Lanier Textiles]

[Standard Textile]

[Thomaston Mills]

[California Textiles]

purchased from its stock in California; the company also offers to sell container loads for added savings.

www.catextiles.com 951-272-1200

VENUS GROUP

Venus Group has introduced a new high-performance sheet under its Invictus™ range. The “Performance Twill” luxury sheet, which is patented and trademarked, has been developed for the institutional and hospitality markets, the company says.

Its in-house textile engineers perfected the sheet with the optimum combination of comfort and strength, Venus says. Using premium ring spun cotton and multifilament textured polyester yarns, this sheet is made to provide the luxury, comfort and softness of cotton along with the strength, durability and easy care of polyester. A combination of weave, pattern and thread density complements the yarns, according to Venus, providing dimensional stability and abrasion resistance to withstand rigorous wash and use conditions.

Performance Twill has been wash-and-use tested through more than 100 commercial launderings without showing any evidence of pilling, linting, or a drop in tensile or tear strengths, Venus says.

www.venusgroup.com 800-421-6599

HARBOR LINEN

Harbor Linen is a source for the hospitality, healthcare and laundry industries. The company says it has put together the most

comprehensive line of bed and bath products available today. With extensive lines of terry ensembles, sheeting collections, pool towels, bathrobes, drapery and amenities, it says it can provide full custom services to create a unique guest experience.

Harbor Linen says its 40-plus years of experience is enhanced through Bed Bath & Beyond, which it says makes it

the largest supplier of sheets and towels in the world. The company says that also allows it to service

its customers with quality product, shipped in a timely manner, at a competitive price.

www.harborlinen.com 800-257-7858

BALTIC LINEN

Baltic Linen continues to offer its Charisma® Hotel Collection, a full line of 300-thread-count, pure cotton bed linen; heavyweight Turkish terry towels; and decorative top-of-the-bed components.

Neo-traditional designs are at its core: lattice, basket weave and a new take on the traditional satin stripe, says Baltic Linen.

Also, the design scheme flows

through all items, not just one individual product group—bedding matches towels, which coordinate with the decorative pieces in the collection.

www.balticlinen.com 800-422-5842

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Should I take on a new customer?

You may have discharge limitations of pH, solvent or other items. Sometimes this can be minimized by careful selection of chemical products, formulation and careful operation. Additional treatment equipment may be needed.

New customers are exciting!

More business is wonderful! Beyond the obvious considerations of more labor, handling equipment, and space, from a chemical supplier’s perspective there are many other things to consider. If the possible new business is similar to what you are already producing, great. The additional work should be technically easy to incorporate into your operation.

However, if this is a new type of customer, new materials are involved, or new soil types are present, proceed carefully.

Make sure your current chemical products are appropriate. Consider the classification of the new goods to be washed. If it is something unknown to you, consult with your chemical supplier to see if it is similar enough to your current work to cause no issues. Different soils may require a different detergent. Or, you may need a different alkali than you are currently using.

Changing products may impact your current work, but your supplier may be able to offer products that will handle the proposed mix of goods. Remember, you might need additional finishing products such as starches or sanitizers.

Hospital work often requires peroxide bleach rather than chlorine. Yet, chlorine is generally less expensive and safe for most materials, if used correctly.

Changes to your chemical products may tax the capabilities of your chemical dispensers. If needed, can your dispensers inject another product? Your chemical supplier may be able to change your dispenser and offer multiple alkalis, detergents and bleaches for a wide range of goods. However, keeping more products in inventory, especially some that are used for only a few classifications of goods, can be costly. You may want to try various chemical products for a short period to determine their flexibility.

Don’t forget wastewater impacts.

Finally, does your washer have enough chemical signals and formulas available? Many older washers have only five signals and can hold a limited number of formulas. Laundries that wash a wide variety of goods often have problems being able to program enough formulas into their washers.

If needed, do you have steam? Will you need to program gentle agitation or a higher-speed extract than currently used? Again, consult your chemical supplier. They may be able to modify existing formulas to handle new classifications. Of course, that may impact the costs of work you are already doing. You may need newer washers or even a different type of washer.

If you are taking on enough business to require more washers anyway, purchase machines that will handle your new business and consider designating specific goods to certain washers to maximize your efficiency. Wash formulas and chemicals that are exactly suited to the goods will result in a more satisfied customer and less expense to you!

• Geographic location— ease of service

• Length of contract

Based upon the size of one’s laundry operation and current production capacity, it is important you look at the size of the potential customer and volume this new potential business will add and how that will impact your current operation and workflow.

Will the size and dollar volume needed to service the customer properly have a negative impact on your production flow and also impact the quality of product you produce?

need to take a long, hard look at the current pricing structure for this potential new business. Is it profitable business? What impact will the pricing quoted have on your bottom line, and how does it affect—if at all—your current business model?

exceed them as well.

As the rental laundry market continues to be highly competitive these days, we continue to turn every stone possible in an effort to write more business and add to our customer base. However, as much as all of us want to grow our business, we need to come to the realization that not all potential customers are the right fit for any given business model.

Several key factors should be taken into consideration when soliciting and/or taking on new customers:

• Size of customer

• Product mix

• Current price structure

In a perfect world, do the items needed to service any new customer fall in line with your current product mix and offerings? In reality, you will run into the situation when there are many new items that need to be added to service a new potential customer. You will have to determine how much inventory you must purchase and add to your current volume in order to properly service the new business. Before doing that, you should ask yourself if the size of the potential account makes sense and warrants the additional expenditures needed on your end to meet your needs for servicing the new customer.

With the market being as competitive as it is today, we

Geographic location means a lot when providing quality service these days. If a customer is not located in your area of service, you will need to consider a special route or vehicle to service the account, pending the size and location of the account. If you do not service other accounts in that area, then you must compare the cost against growth potential to make running your trucks and vehicles there worth your investment.

Length of contract is something that should also be considered, as you might have to make a large investment to service the account. You must consider the option to negotiate a long-term agreement or term pending, which offers the best value for you and your customer.

The bottom line here is that we are in business to make money. The key to growing our business is to provide consistent, quality service at a competitive price without losing money. Our goal is to not only provide service that will meet our customers’ expectations, but to

As much as we all want to grow our business and add volume to our plants, we need to look hard at current capacity and plan accordingly. If you add business for the sake of just adding business and then service it poorly, it can have a negative impact on your operation and, more importantly, your reputation for quality service.

Awise person once told me, “Not all business is good business!” And the old adage of “Lose a little on every sale and make it up in volume” just doesn’t work.

I think that most companies have a firm grasp on their costs and can say that they are, or are not, making money each month. The query should be, “Am I making an acceptable ROI on every account that I have, or am I doing well on some and poorly on others?”

As an example, it costs more to properly launder and finish sheets

“I have the opportunity to take on a new customer. I know that means more business, but it also means more work, additional costs, and so on. What do I need to take into account when considering new business?”

Chemicals

David Barbe

Commercial Laundry Rick Rone

Laundry Plus, Bradenton, Fla.

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

that are 300 thread count and 100% cotton than it does to do the same work on 180-thread-count cotton/poly blend. The same holds true for higher-weight terry. Time and production analysis should be carried out on each new account and taken into consideration when bidding.

We all know that certain items appear on the fixed overhead side of the page. Things like rent, insurance and executive compensation might not need to be covered over and over. With that in mind, as you look to take on additional business, those items do not necessarily need to be allocated again.

A company needs to review its laundry facility. How much volume was it designed for? How much can it do efficiently? Does the company have the necessary logistical equipment, as well as time on the equipment, and drivers?

If you take the time to review each potential new account, on its own merits, I believe that you will make the correct decision.

to cover all of your startup costs?

• Does your plant provide a service level that is sufficient to satisfy the new customer? We all have customers on which we measure quality. However, we don’t necessarily want the new customer to be the standard.

• When it comes to spending dollars, it is about the best use of those dollars. Thus, when considering taking on new business and having to invest in linen to take on that business, which is a better return on the dollar, linen or equip-

ment? The new customer or efficiency improvement?

• Does the new customer fit in with your current weekly operating schedule? Does it require production outside of current working hours?

• What is the new customer’s payment history?

• Why do you want to take on new business? You don’t necessarily want to fill the plant up totally. You want to be able to continue to service all of your customers in the event of a plant/production emergency.

For large additions, you also want to consider wear and tear

on your equipment and how it might affect the timing of your capital replacement schedule. The additional volume may positively affect you by way of volume discounts from vendors.

• What does it cost you now, and what will it cost you, to produce this customer’s poundage?

All of these are critical questions that need to be assessed and fully answered. Addressing these questions will enable you to make a proper decision. Sometimes it is all about overhead and depreciation contribution. It can sometimes

also be about survival.

Don’t get me wrong, new business is like manna from heaven, but make sure you assess it correctly.

DEEP CHEST IRONING!

Fit and profit are major considerations when thinking about taking on new business. This is one of the reasons there is a line drawn between healthcare and hospitality laundries. Generally, a plant is built to do one or the other.

Consider these questions:

• If your laundry is only processing one customer or is standardized by linen, taking on a customer that owns its linen would affect how you handle, separate and wash linen. It could become a drag on your productivity. It could negatively affect efficiencies in gas, water and electricity usage if load size or batches are not maximized.

• Delivery considerations: Is the customer on or near a current route? Are your current vehicles big enough or small enough? Do you have enough carts in your current system, or is there a purchase requirement?

• Is the new customer committed for a term that is sufficient

Torsion Bar

• Braun’s torsion bar suspension distributes pressure evenly along each roll, eliminating the need for daily adjustments to maintain correct contact

• Every Braun ironer includes a torsion bar on each ironing roll

Floating Chest

• Braun’s floating chest, along with the torsion bar, self-center during operation to the ironing roll, optimizing the contact area under pressure

Drive

• Poly-chain drive ensures high reliability, low maintenance, and low cost of ownership

• All rolls run at equal speed (direct controllable speed)

Without Torsion Bar

• Difficult to maintain proper roll down across the width of the ironer; there is no assurance the ironer can provide consistent uniform drying and the flatwork’s smooth travel without making daily adjustments.

Non-Floating Chest

• Does not self-center and adjust for variations; the ironer roll tends to ride up out of the chest, loses contact under pressure and shortens the life of the pads

Drive

• Progressive speed differential: speed synchronization is difficult, stretching and distorting goods while leaving ironer tape and ribbon markings, causing excess slippage.

For a full comparison and to view Braun’s unique features and functionality, go to www.gabraun.com/ironer-solutions

Investigation key to starting or growing laundry

BY MATT POE, EDITOR

ATLANTA — There are many factors that have to be considered by anyone thinking about starting up a laundry business or looking to grow existing business.

The markets, financing, workforce, levels of quality and service—each of these must be carefully investigated.

A trio of industry representa-

tives—David Chadsey, vice president of sales for distributor TLC Tri-State Laundry Companies; Dr. Fontaine Sands, an associate professor at Eastern Kentucky University; and Bob Corfield, president and CEO of Laundry Design Group—discussed these topics during an education session titled Starting a Laundry on a Shoestring here at this spring’s Clean Show.

Chadsey says that in the laun-

dry industry, he sees a lot of ways to make a living with a washing machine.

“I have clients that do hospitality linen and they look at the healthcare folks and think, ‘If I could just do healthcare. If I could only figure out how to get my plant set up where I’m HLAC-accredited and so on, I could do healthcare,’” he says. “A lot of times, we’ll have healthcare plants, and they’ll have

a hotel down the road that asks, ‘Can you do my linen? My finishing line is down.’ We’ve got a lot of different areas in our industry.”

However, Chadsey points out that those considering starting a laundry or growing their business need to understand who they’re going to be, the type of laundry they’re going to be.

“There are very distinct differences between being a hospitality

plant and a healthcare plant,” he says. “There are distinct processes between healthcare or table linen. It’s not that if you do healthcare, you can’t do a couple tablecloths for your boardroom, but in the long term on a production scale, I think it’s very important to identify who you want to be and what you want to do.”

Corfield agrees. “You actually have to define what type of processing facility, what type of customer opportunity, what kind of work opportunities there are,” he says. “Each of them has a very different quality and service expectation.”

Corfield suggests looking at what’s in the marketplace, finding out what the opportunities are.

“Let’s put a scenario down here,” he says. “Let’s imagine we decided we’re going to go into the hotel or service business. I’m a dry cleaner and I’ve been providing valet service, and now I’m getting into laundry. I’m going to determine a couple things first. What type of laundry am I going to be? Are you going to be a rental service, where you own the linens and bed/bath product, or do you want to be a customer-owned goods (COG) processing facility? Then you have to think about transportation. You’ll need carts to collect the goods and move them back and forth, and you’ll have do a workload assessment.”

It’s at that point for Corfield, when a prospective launderer has an idea of what the opportunity is for them, including if they’ll process by pounds or pieces, the number of hours of operation for processing, then they can begin to get their arms around what type of plant and workstations will be needed.

But that’s not all that a prospective launderer needs to know, according to Corfield.

“Understand the quality expectations and service delivery expectations of your customers. What is the quality from a finishing standpoint? What’s the quality and number of counts? What’s the packaging? Do they want product wrapped, delivered in bulk? What type of expectations do they have?” he says.

you have all that in hand, then you can start understanding what your plant needs to look like

“Once

“I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY WHO YOU WANT TO BE AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.”

—DAVID CHADSEY TLC TRI-STATE

in terms of space and equipment.”

Then, Corfield says, they need to look at utilities, water, electrical, airflow, and all the needs for the workspace. All that will provide a baseline. That will provide an idea of numbers and an idea of what will be cost-effective for actually get into the business.

Of course, starting a laundry or growing a business takes one important thing—money. Prospective launderers need to do the research and have a plan in place to secure funding.

“I had a young man come by, and he was interested in getting into a laundry project,” says Chadsey. “When we were talking about equipment, talking about location, one of the issues that came up was financing. How was he going to fund it? There are some resources available within our industry to fund. Our company has some in-house things. I said that we would want to look at his business plan in order to talk about funding. He said, ‘I wasn’t planning on going to a bank, so I don’t have a business plan.’”

business. For that, Corfield recommends thoroughly investigating the marketplace.

“Go into that plant. Go into the room, the location, the hospital facility that is requesting the service, and see what the current level of service is, what their expectation is,” he says. “See what the level of service is, and the complexity of that service, to make sure that you can make decisions on taking that work, and designing your plant to move forward, that you’re understanding what your

A business plan is not only important for funding, Chadsey says, but it’s also important for business operations. It’s what a company is planning to do.

“When you first get started in this endeavor, you may have a plan to work in a new table linen: ‘We’re going to work in 5,000 a day.’ Well, whatever your plan is, most likely three years from now, you started to do this, and then you ran into a hotel and they had all these towels they asked you to process. Things change.

“I think when you’re putting together a laundry, it’s really important to have a business plan, and that should include all of your capacities, the type of laundry you’re going to process, how are you going to deliver it to the customer. You need to put some financials in there as well. This is how we plan to reach this benchmark for revenue.”

Numbers, says Corfield, are vital in the laundry business. He compares laundry to baseball: The industry counts everything.

“We count production. We count productivity. We count rewash. We count stains. We count tears, the bags. It depends on your business,” says Corfield. “Those are all areas that you count that you can benchmark and produce more productive workspaces.”

A prospective laundry owner needs to have an idea of those numbers before getting into the

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

operation will be.”

For Chadsey, that understanding includes understanding what workforce will be required.

“One thing I see with smaller laundries wanting to grow is they’ll have a limited amount of employees, and these employees, in a hospitality application, they’ll work on wash in the morning, then in

the afternoon they send it over to the ironer,” he says. “In healthcare, that sheet might not have to be perfect, and you really don’t want that washman going over and working that ironer unless he has taken off that personal protective equipment and has washed up.

“Different plants have different policies for that, but if you’re growing, you have to think about having people at different stations. You want to keep that functional situation as much possible.”

Speaking of healthcare, Sands stresses that prospective healthcare launderers need to know that if they’re going to do healthcare laundry, even if they have an establishment, there are structural changes they might have to address. That could include physically separating

the clean side from the soiled side. She says that they need to know that type of thing up front, so that in the business plan they can adjust for those variables.

“On the clean side, you have to think, ‘I’m processing and I have to have quality and my process works every single time so that what I say is hygienically clean for this healthcare institution is hygienically clean and it needs to stay that way all the way through delivery,’” she says.

“Healthcare is a very different animal from a hospitality laundry,” says Chadsey.

He notes that there are many different opportunities in the market, such as acute care, long-term care or other clinical areas, such as doctors’ offices. However, Chadsey stresses that the definition of quality in healthcare is much different than it is in hospitality.

In the same vein, the definition of quality is different in table linen than healthcare and hospitality.

“Because the standards are different and quality is different, oftentimes that means a difference in the processes and the equipment used,” he says.

Not only are there different markets, Corfield points out, there are also different types of laundry businesses that one considering entering the field will have to consider.

“If the customer owns their own linens, you’re going to be a laundry processing site,” he says. “Then there’s the competitive renal business. You own the linens, and you’re providing linens as a rental service. They’re really two different business.”

Corfield says that most plants do one or the other type of business. Once a rental business owns the linen, he says that it can “normalize” processes. These include controlling the operating hours of the week and of the day. This is because the customers aren’t getting the same towels they had last week; they’re getting the towels that are next in line to be returned to them.

“When you’re doing COG processing, you now do what is called batch processing,” Corfield says. “When you bring the shirt into your plant, it goes all the way through your plant. That shirt is the shirt they get back.”

The challenge in COG is this, according to Corfield: The customer has to maintain enough inventory on hand for the laundry to do its job properly and in a reasonable amount of time. That includes pickup, transport, processing and delivery.

That being said, Chadsey says, “Rental is very difficult to do on a shoestring [budget]. COG gives you the opportunity to grow on that investment. A lot of times, a hotel might have their own laundry and are thinking about sending it out, even hospitals. In that consideration is how many par do they actually keep. Maybe they have three par and they need to buy another par to process it on their own. If you can process three par, that saves them from spending money on another par.”

There are a number of studies that have been published, says Corfield, but basically they all come down to the same thing: Businesses need to understand their cost of sales and cost of operations.

“It’s not difficult to get to the baseline cost,” he says. “It’s difficult to manage it effectively.”

“...WHAT

Q&A: Texcare International floor space extension reflects positive mood

FRANKFURT, Germany — The latest trends and innovations in the laundry and drycleaning industry will be seen at Texcare International in Frankfurt am Main next June 11-15. The sector comes together at this international platform every four years to present its innovative products and ground-breaking services, as well as to network with colleagues, to exchange know-how and information and for professional development and training.

At the event next year, the exhibition area will grow in line with demand, organizers say. Both Halls 8 and 9 will be occupied during the five days of the show.

In an interview supplied by show organizer Messe Frankfurt, the Garment and Leather Technology Group of the Association of German Machine and Plant Manufacturers, which is one of the supporting organizations of Texcare International, also expresses its pleasure at the use of Hall 9. General Manager Elgar Straub examines the background and gives some idea of the way the sector is developing.

Q:We are still a year away from the event, and already there is huge demand on the part of exhibitors. This has resulted in a new layout and the addition of Hall 9. Mr. Straub, what is your view of this development and of Messe Frankfurt’s decision?

It was exactly the right decision to take, to include the extra hall—and at exactly the right time, too. In discussions with Messe Frankfurt, many of the exhibitors have emphasized that they wanted to increase the size of their stands and at the same time they wanted to be included within the appropriate product group for them. That requirement could no longer be met with Hall 8, which had [gotten] to a point where it could grow no further. It seems to me an extremely positive thing that the organizers at Messe Frankfurt have reacted quickly and flexibly to this by extending the floor space of the exhibition.

Q:What, from your point of view, are the advantages for the sector, for exhibitors and for the trade visitors?

The addition of Hall 9 and the extension of the available exhibition space have resulted in advantages for visitors and exhibitors alike.

The market leaders will, next year, be presenting their new products in Hall 8 and Hall 9. In both halls, they will be grouped together with new and smaller manufacturing companies as appropriate to their particular product group or groups. That means that there will be a balanced variety and plurality, which will make both halls more interesting for the trade and professional visitors who come and, at the same time, provide an even broader reflection of the sector as a whole. The overall picture at Texcare will

be even more attractive as a result.

Our sector needs a unified platform, which can give a rounded picture of the product groups. The larger surface area will also enable additional networking areas to be provided, which visitors to the last Texcare regretted not having. All in all, Texcare is becoming an even more international platform. We are delighted at this devel-

opment, which reflects the growth in the product groups and their diversity.

Q:Does this growth of Texcare International in Frankfurt also reflect the developments in the sector as a whole?

Absolutely. The textile care sector is a strong and growing market, both in Europe and worldwide. The field of textile services, in particular, enjoys huge

market volumes and is becoming more and more important.

We are noticing, moreover, that many companies have not yet fully exploited their potential and are developing, in ways, for instance, that involve adding neighboring fields of activity and new segments to the range of products and services they offer. Thus, for instance, we are set to see continued growth in terms of textile hire, as well as with information technologies and merchandise management

systems.

Services, too, are becoming more and more important, as are the ecological aspects of textile care. The issues are very much those of the future and are coming to have greater and greater importance at Texcare International.

It is, therefore, a logical conclusion, that the exhibitors in these areas should be using a larger area for their presentations—and the extension into Hall 9 makes this possible for 2016. ALN

Straub

CONGRATS

WINNERS!

of our iPad and Android tablet give away at the Clean Show

Lori Benson The

Guy LLC, Toms River, New Jersey

Join them in reading our digital edition on your tablet too! Once you subscribe you’ll get instant access! And your digital magazine can be where ever you are, whatever you’re doing!

Heidle Baskin Baskin Laundry LLC, Canton, Texas

Towel

and support services.

Duane O’Neill, CEO of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, says, “Our healthcare institutions have proven that while they are very competitive, they also believe in collaboration. The shared laundry allows more financial resources to focus on patient care, which is of the utmost importance for each hospital.”

The hospitals’ laundry services—approximately 11 million pounds annually—will be processed at Crown’s industrialscale facility in Columbia, Miss. Crown officials expect to hire 30 to 35 additional employees at the Columbia plant as a result of the increased workload from these three contracts.

technology instead of replacing aging laundry equipment,” says Lester K. Diamond, St. Dominic Hospital president. “It would also be an important step in creating greater collaboration for future development in the Mississippi Healthcare Corridor.”

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs, adds, “The hospital’s laundry equipment is nearing the end of its useful life. By shifting laundry operations to a third party, we can realize a substantial savings on capital investment in new equipment, and the space occupied by our laundry facilities

on campus can be repurposed for other uses. By unifying our laundry services, UMMC, Baptist and St. Dominic’s can allocate more resources to patient care.”

The amount of laundry managed at each of the institutions’ respective on-campus facilities is significant, and the costs of repairing or replacing laundry equipment, along with the service costs of processing clean laundry and linen for each of the institutions’ main campus and satellite clinics throughout the state, has rendered the provision of laundry services untenable compared to more efficient alternatives.

Baptist Health Systems processes 4 million pounds of laundry at its campus facility each year, while St. Dominic Hospital handles 2.7 million pounds and UMMC processes 4.2 million pounds (UMMC-Grenada maintains its own laundry facilities and is not included in this contract).

The five-mile Mississippi Healthcare Corridor links Interstate 55 and Interstate 220 and includes most of the area’s academic and medical institutions. Anchored by the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center, the corridor is dedicated to providing the finest medical

care and education throughout the Southeast while hosting a biomedical research enterprise that fosters innovations and enhances applied therapies nationwide.

Aside from its industrial-scale facility in Columbia, Crown Healthcare Laundry Services also boasts laundry processing facilities in Selma, Ala.; Quitman, Ga.; and Pensacola, Fla. In the event of an emergency disruption in service at the Columbia plant, laundry service would be managed at one of Crown’s other facilities, preventing any disruption of laundry and linen services to the three healthcare institutions. ALN

This month, Crown also plans to open a Jackson-area laundry distribution center within the Mississippi Healthcare Corridor to distribute the consolidated laundry from the three hospitals. This center is expected to employ 12 to15 people, with employment levels increasing as laundry volume dictates.

Although each hospital will have a separate contract with Crown, the group issued a joint request for proposals through the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership and jointly negotiated the contract terms.

According to the leaders of the three healthcare institutions, the timing of the agreement could not have been better.

“Baptist has been pleased to work collaboratively with UMMC and St. Dominic’s to consolidate laundry services and in demonstrating that local healthcare providers are committed to working together to create efficiencies in a very complex healthcare environment,” says Chris Anderson, Baptist Health Systems CEO. “We are confident this will work well for each organization and its patients and look forward to other partnership efforts in the future.”

“After careful analysis, we determined that outsourcing our laundry services, in collaboration with other local hospitals, would free up physical space on our campus and allow for capital investment in new medical

Lavatec fills key manager positions with Borgos and Prashad

BEACON FALLS, Conn. — Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc. has hired Mike Borgos and Chris Prashad. According to the company, Borgos is the regional sales manager for the Northeast territory, and Prashad is the manager of project engineering.

Reporting to Vice President of Sales Keith Ware, Borgos oversees sales activities in 13 states from Maine to Virginia. After working for several companies in the Southeast, including two stints with National Linen Service, he spent almost 10 years with

Track Career

AmeriPride Services Inc. in New England and successfully served in group sales manager, general manager and district (regional) manager capacities. Most recently, Borgos was vice president of linen operations at Swisher Hygiene Inc.

“Lavatec is an excellent opportunity to provide realistic solutions to the laundry operator. My experience as an operator enables me to clearly identify challenges our customers face on a daily basis,” says Borgos.

He believes his exposure to all sectors of the laundry industry at various levels will help with expanding the Lavatec brand.

As manager of project engineering, Prashad is in charge of many projects and assists other departments with various drawings and documentation work.

A 2011 graduate of Binghamton University in New York with a mechanical engineering degree, he most recently was a lead engineer at SP Industries Inc., where he was involved in all phases of the product development cycle.

Reporting to President Mark Thrasher and located at corporate headquarters, Prashad says the

chance to join a reputable com pany making high-quality equipment was too good to pass up.

“Lavatec is a growing company, and I was very impressed with the people I met during the interview process, including Mark Thrasher and Keith Ware. I have some immediate short-term goals, but long term I want to adopt processes that will help streamline projects, which in turn will help maintain schedules and reduce costs,” he says.

Prashad is affiliated with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers and Engineers Without Borders.

Laundrylux hires Seitz for PLUS Division business development

INWOOD, N.Y. — Laundrylux has added industry veteran Tim

Seitz to its PLUS division. Seitz has been hired as PLUS business development manager.

“I’m thrilled to join the Laundrylux family and to be focused on the needs of the commercial laundry industry,” he says. “Being able to provide our customers with the latest technology, most energy-efficient products, financing, service and support makes me proud to be a member of the Laundrylux team.”

The company says Seitz’s laundry industry expertise spans almost two decades and includes positions with card payment system ESD (director of sales and marketing), route operator Coinmach (senior vice president of sales) and as an independent representative of a variety of payment platforms.

Cody Milch, vice president of OPL and PLUS, adds, “Seitz will be an invaluable resource for the

Laundrylux distribution network, helping them increase awareness of the PLUS system within their territories and, ultimately, drive sales. We are very excited to welcome Tim to our team.”

Laundrylux says that PLUS is a revolutionary approach to on-premises laundry processing, eliminating capital expenses. It enables properties to pay for usage only of new, high-efficiency Electrolux Professional laundry equipment, while avoiding contracts and lease payments. All service and support is included in the program and helps managers better budget for their laundry expenses, according to the company.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — JENSEN USA Inc. has added Byl Parker to its sales team, while promoting Frank Hamlin, Stan Hipps, Tim Corbell and Tommy

JENSEN USA adds Parker in sales, promotes Hamlin, Hipps, Corbell, Kallgren

Seitz

Prashad

Borgos

Kallgren in their respective departments.

Parker will be responsible for sales in the south-central United States, bringing more than eight years of experience as a JENSEN USA service technician, having overseen the installation and commissioning of a variety of projects and installations. He has an associate of arts degree in history from Gulf Coast State College, Panama City.

Hamlin has been promoted to parts and service manager. He joined JENSEN USA in 1999 as a field service technician in the flatwork division, a position that he held for eight years. He’s worked the past eight years as field service manager of flatwork finishing.

Hamlin attended Electronics Engineering Technology at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, N.C.

Hipps is now service manager

of the company’s flatwork department. He joined JENSEN USA in 2006 as a parts analyst and later became service coordinator of the flatwork department. The company says that his nine years of experience have helped him continue to expand his knowledge base, which allows him to provide customers with outstanding service.

Corbell has been promoted to technical service coordinator. He joined the company in 2010 and quickly rose through the ranks from the assembly department to quality assurance and on to field service engineer in the washroom division. He has an associate of science degree in electrical engineering from ITT Technical Institute.

After 21 years with the company, Kallgren is now manager of its projects department. He joined JENSEN in 1994 as an installation

technician and has held several management positions within the Metricon division of JENSENGROUP.

Kallgren will oversee and ensure that the installation of all projects of all divisions continue to be successful, the company says. He has a bachelor of arts degree in mechanical engineering from Almas University in Boras, Sweden.

Kemco Systems hires Vij as West Coast regional sales manager

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Kemco Systems has hired Bharet Vij of Los Angeles to oversee the company’s sales efforts on the West Coast.

Vij is a chemical engineering graduate from the University of Tennessee and has held many important technical and management positions in the filtration

industry across North America, as well as overseas, according to the company.

During his career, Vij has dealt extensively with applications specializing in fluid clarification, sterilization and high purity, Kemco says.

Vij says his motivation is sustainability and making a positive difference.

Continental Girbau promotes Kraemer to regional manager

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Continental Girbau Inc. recently promoted Wesley Kraemer, of Ripon, Wis., to regional sales manager serving the Central United States.

Kraemer joined Continental in 2010 as a management trainee, a role in which the company says he fielded customer and distributor calls, gained product knowledge, honed communication skills and handled lead follow-up

and qualification.

In his new role, he will manage Continental distributor sales and national accounts within his region.

“When he was hired four years ago, Wes took on a newly created position at Continental, in which he was responsible for inside sales and customer support,” says Joel Jorgensen, Continental vice president of sales and customer services.

“He quickly proved himself as resourceful, smart and hardworking. Wes successfully developed his position/role into one that is highly valued by the company and its distributors.

Now, he’s taking his resourcefulness, skills and knowledge into a regional manager position where he’ll work to grow our brands— Continental, Girbau Industrial and OnePress—alongside distributors within his territory.”

Kraemer says he looks forward to working closely with, and

over 50 years U.N.X. INCORPORATED has been involved in the development of products that not only solve quality problems that exist at the moment, but also provide long term benefits to the customer and the environment in which we live.

Kraemer

Parker Hamlin

Kallgren Hipps Corbell

Vij

learning from, Continental distributors.

“Some distributors have been in the industry for 20 or 30 years. Each one has different and effective selling concepts and skills,” he says. “I’m excited to learn from them and to also share my knowledge related to competition, products, technologies and markets.”

Kraemer has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ripon College.

Eastern Funding taps Regan for VP of sales and marketing

NEW YORK — Commercial lender Eastern Funding LLC has hired Anthony “Tony” Regan as its vice president of sales and marketing.

Regan will be responsible for companywide sales and marketing across the grocery, drycleaning,

Track Career

franchise fast food and coin laundry business lines. He will manage all of Eastern Funding’s loan officers and report directly to senior management.

Prior to joining Eastern Funding, Regan was senior vice president of sales and marketing at American Dryer Corp. (ADC). He has more than 20 years of experience in the laundry industry and was part of the captive finance program at ADC.

“Anthony is a fantastic addition to our team,” says Stephen Gramaglia, chief operating officer of Eastern Funding. “His vast experience in national sales and marketing as well as his specific experience in the laundry industry is invaluable. Anthony will enhance our already strong sales team and create a platform to deliver excellent service to manufacturers, distributors and end-users.”

Voltea has hired Carlos Camero as senior vice president of global sales. In the role, Camero leads all sales and marketing-related functions for the manufacturer of capacitive deionization systems worldwide.

Camero joins Voltea’s executive leadership team, reporting to CEO Bryan Brister. The company says he will play a key role in driving sales and marketing strategy to generate demand and achieve revenue objectives as the company continues its commercial growth.

continue to commercialize Voltea’s CapDI© technology across the globe, and his experience working in a company that successfully transitioned from an early-stage high-tech company in the water industry through IPO and then years of continued profitable operations will be extremely helpful to us.”

Camero previously worked at Energy Recovery Inc., most recently as senior sales manager, mega projects division.

He attended the University of South Florida, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering.

Covington joins SonicAire by IES engineering team

WINSTON SALEM, N.C.

SonicAire products’ compliance to North American and international standards,” says Brad Carr, president of IES. “His ability to listen closely to our clients, making sure they receive the most suitable product and documentation for their needs, will be an invaluable asset.”

Covington graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering.

SASSENHEIM, Netherlands —

“Carlos Camero is a fantastic addition to Voltea, and we are excited to have him join the team,” says Brister. “His experience and leadership will be critical as we

— Integrated Environmental Solutions Inc. (IES), manufacturer of SonicAire® fans, has added Ryan Covington as engineering manager, responsible for directing the product development team.

“Covington will manage the certification process for our

Prior to coming to IES, Covington worked for Underwriters Laboratories LLC in 20062014, first as a senior project/ field evaluation engineer and finally as an engineering manager. He was responsible for a team that certified lighting products to domestic and international requirements and developed pilot process improvement programs. Covington also investigated product concerns of consumers

Voltea strengthens global sales team with Camero

Camero

Covington

Regan

and code authorities, while also providing reports and technical support.

In addition, he worked as an engineer for Accident Reconstruction Analysis Inc., investigating the cause of product and appliance failures, preparing technical reports and investigating the cause and origin of fires.

“Ryan’s experience managing engineering teams, developing product improvement programs and providing technical support will be invaluable to IES as we adapt our product for additional markets and grow our customer base,” says Jordan Newton, vice president of engineering and sales.

A member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and International Association of Electrical Inspectors, Covington enjoys woodworking and model trains and is also active in the Boy Scouts of America. He is also a member of the Raleigh Moravian Band.

Tapia has accepted a promotion to the position of direct embroidery supervisor, Penn Emblem says.

Tapia has worked for the company for three years as a direct embroidery customer service lead.

With eight years of customer service experience, Tapia says she looks forward to expanding her education with Penn Emblem.

The company says that she exceeds patrons’ expectations with her background in marketing and customer service.

the New York area.

Sutton, who was with Gurtler Industries in the company’s early years, rejoins as a regional manager. He brings with him years of experience in sales and customer service.

Tingue, Brown & Co. adds Harber, Dillon to sales team

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. —

Gurtler Industries Inc. has added Brian Campbell as manager of market development and Mike Sutton as a regional manager, the company reports.

Campbell brings with him 25 years experience in the industry. The company says he will cover

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. — Laundry product supplier Tingue, Brown & Co. has named Brett Harber sales representative for western Texas, including Austin, El Paso and San Antonio, and Michael Dillon sales representative for the Pacific Northwest.

Serving textile rental companies, commercial laundries, hotels with on-premises laundries and others, Harber is a former current operations officer for the U.S.

Marine Corps who the company says brings hands-on expertise in quality assurance, logistics and cost savings to the position, plus important experience operating in high-stress, high-risk environments.

“Brett understands what it’s like to work under pressure, day in and day out, in hot, stressful conditions,” says Jared Addis, regional sales manager, “and his non-stop work ethic translates well from the military to the laundry.”

According to Harber, who managed the construction of a school for children of refugees in Bangladesh, it’s the nature of the work and desire to provide support that offer the most appeal.

“I tend to tackle the tough jobs and get my hands dirty, so I’m right at home working on a flatwork ironer, and I have a lot of respect for the people responsible for keeping the ironer running,”

says Harber.

He is a graduate of Abilene Christian University and resides in Austin, Texas.

Dillon, a decorated veteran of the U.S. Navy and former leader of its Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Program as a senior technician, helps laundry operators in Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho and British Columbia, Canada, specify and install flatwork ironer supplies, machine parts and laundry carts to keep their operations running at peak efficiency, offering a special expertise in finish quality for food and beverage linens.

“A number of our customers in Mike’s territory are enjoying serious growth in the hospitality segment, and downtime is simply not an option,” says Addis. “Mike brings a level of dedication to our customers and an understanding about urgency that very few people can match.”

Adds Dillon, “The plant managers that keep everything running have all my respect and admiration. I’m grateful that so many of our customers are growing and doing well.”

He is a University of Colorado graduate and resides with his wife in Seattle, Wash.

setting the standard

The Total Eclipse OPL Laundry System

The Total Eclipse OPL Laundry System is capable of dispensing up to 6 products and handling up to 20 different wash formulas.

For more details call: 800.543.7184 or visit our website: hydrosystemsco.com

Penn Emblem promotes Tapia to direct embroidery supervisor

PHILADELPHIA — Estela

Gurtler Industries adds Campbell, Sutton to manager list

ALN

Campbell Sutton

Tapia

Harber Dillon

In Memoriam: Michael J. Klosinski, St. Michael’s Laundry, Notre Dame

RICHMOND, Ky. — Laundry industry veteran Michael J. Klosinski, 61, died at his home in South Bend, Ind., on Aug. 9, reports the Association for Linen Management (ALM). ALM says Klosinski was involved in the laundry industry for more than 30 years. For the last 11 years, he was the laundry director of St. Michael’s Laundry at the University of Notre Dame.

A member of ALM since 1983, Klosinski was awarded the Heywood Wiley Manager of the Year award in 2006.

Klosinski was a 1972 graduate of St. Joseph High School. He had been a coach for the Washington High School and St. Joseph High School hockey teams. He had also coached football and wrestling for the ICCL.

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; his mother, Shirley; a sister, Eva Marie; and two sons, Jacob (Emily) and Josh (Lacie), along with three grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Wounded Warriors Project or the charity of your choice. To send online condolences, visit www.kaniewski.com

In Memoriam: Gene Hurst, founder of Hurst Boiler & Welding Co.

COOLIDGE, Ga. — Clifton Eugene “Gene” Hurst, founder of the Hurst Boiler & Welding Co., died July 22 in Thomasville, Ga., the company announced in a press release. He was 79.

Describing him as an “entrepreneur, skilled engineer, and devoted family man,” the company says Hurst will be remembered for his “kindness, dedication, vision and inexhaustible will.” It adds that he not only grew Hurst Boiler into a world leader among boiler companies, he helped transform the boiler industry through innovation.

“We lost one of the greatest men to ever live, a man adored by many, a man of true character, a man that meant so much to so many,” says Chad Fletcher, Hurst’s grandson and the company’s director of aftermarket parts and sales.

Hurst started his family business in 1967 with wife Edna in a shop behind their Thomasville home. In 1970, he moved the company to its present location in Coolidge, where the company manufactures a full line of solid waste-, wood-, gas-, coal- and oil-fired steam and hot water boilers and related equipment in a 314,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.

Forty-eight years later, the business remains in the family, under the direction of the Hurst children: Tommy, Hayward, Teri and Jeff. It employs more than 350 people at full production capacity.

Gene Hurst attributed his success to his faith, his family’s support, and the dedication of the Hurst Boiler team and customers, the company says.

“Anyone who knew him, in whatever capacity, would certainly agree he was a kind, humble, and inspiring individual who cared deeply for his family and the people who worked for him,” says Jeff Hurst, Gene’s youngest son and Hurst Boiler’s director of marketing.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Lives Without Limits organization, www. liveswithoutlimitsga.org

G&K Services named one of Selling Power magazine’s ‘50 Best Companies to Sell For’

MINNEAPOLIS — G&K Services Inc., a provider of uniforms and facility services programs, was recently named one of the “50 Best Companies to Sell For” by Selling Power magazine, a publication for sales professionals. G&K ranked number 25 on this year’s list, the company reports.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized as one of Selling Power’s ‘50 Best Companies to Sell For,’” says Dave Euson, G&K’s vice president of marketing and sales. “At G&K Services, we strive to hire, train and retain the best possible sales talent, while providing them terrific development opportunities and sales enablement tools. This ranking validates the progress we are making toward building a worldclass sales organization.”

Each year, the corporate research team at Selling Power

Quality...

...for the Long Haul.

Precision built, all welded, anodized aluminum carts, specifically engineered for the extremes of loading, handling, cartwash and off-site transport in your busy laundry. Available in a wide range of models and sizes, and always to your custom requirements.

For more information: G.S.M. Linen Handling Systems 1-800-363-CART (2278) www.gsm-cart.com

identifies and ranks the best companies to sell for among the top sales forces in the United States. The list includes companies of all sizes, with sales forces ranging from fewer than 100 salespeople to companies with sales-force numbers in the thousands.

This year’s rankings focused on three broad areas: customer growth and retention; hiring, compensation, sales training and enablement; and company recognition and reputation.

G.A. Braun to expand its domestic production facility in New York state

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — G.A. Braun Inc., along with its subsidiary CNY Fabrication, will be expanding its domestic production facility here, Braun reports.

“Just six years ago, we consolidated our domestic operations at our current location with the building of a state-ofthe-art manufacturing facility,” says J.B. Werner, CEO and chairman of the board for Braun. “Thanks to the hard work of our team members, our consistent vision for our business, our sound supply-chain network, the support of our state and local economic development agencies and, most importantly, the exceptional business relationships that we have the good fortune to share with our clients, we are able to make this significant decision.”

Over the next 12 months, the company will be adding 101,000 square feet of production space to its existing facility, Braun says. The space will be used to support its business and new product development initiatives, diversification

G.A. Braun Inc. is expanding its Syracuse, N.Y., facility by 101,000 square feet, the laundry equipment manufacturer reports. (Photo: G.A. Braun)

Hurst

Klosinski

pursuits domestically and internationally, and expansion of its core capabilities.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to invest in our business, our people and the region,” Werner says. “We feel strongly that there is a great work ethic within the region and look forward to adding new team members to our organization as part of this facility expansion.

“It is our hope that this expansion will simply be one of many that will positively impact the region and the laundry industry.”

Matthew 25: Ministries recognizes Cintas for its environmental stewardship

CINCINNATI — Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization headquartered here, acknowledges corporate donors nationwide that represent the pinnacle of responsible corporate environmental stewardship through its Green Giving program.

Cintas Corp. meets the standards of the Green Giving Guidelines and has demonstrated an extraordinary level of environmental stewardship, the organization says.

Corporate donors like Cintas receive a display certificate and the opportunity to display the Green Giving Seal.

The Green Giving Guidelines include

these standards:

• Donate product multiple times per year to Matthew 25: Ministries.

• Donate a significant amount of product based on company size, location and/or capacity.

• Demonstrate an overall commitment toward minimizing corporate waste.

• Demonstrate outstanding corporate citizenship by repurposing corporate excess for humanitarian work.

Cintas says that it is proud of its relationship with Matthew 25: Ministries and that environmental responsibility is just one facet of their partnership. Cintas has been a donor of humanitarian aid and disaster relief supplies since 1998, it says.

In 2013, Cintas and Matthew 25: Ministries unveiled the Cintas Mobile Disaster Relief Vehicle. Over the past two years, in response to weather events across the country, Matthew 25: Ministries has deployed the vehicle to distribute disaster relief, including safety glasses, gloves and masks, as well as tarps, blankets, cases of water, baby supplies, personal care kits and cleaning products.

Corporations work throughout the year with Matthew 25: Ministries to rescue, recycle, reuse and repurpose millions of pounds of excess products, saving them from the landfill, protecting the environment and helping millions of people throughout the United States and worldwide each year. ALN

Cintas and Matthew 25: Ministries unveiled the Cintas Mobile Disaster Relief Vehicle in 2013. (Photo: Cintas)

PARTS, PARTS, PARTS

Huge stock of parts for most laundry equipment & boilers. Also traps, valves and lubricants. Overnight delivery. Steiner-Atlantic, 800-333-8883 Fax: 305-751-8390 parts@steineratlantic.com www.steineratlantic.com

WASHEX PARTS

Hard-to-find Washex parts, on-site rebuilding, tech support.

LAUNDRY PARTS CENTER 800-352-4492 Fax: 305-827-3991

Direct Machinery has a Sales Engineer position open for our very productive New York and New Jersey sales territory. We represent Milnor, Chicago and many other lines of laundry equipment. Will relocate the right candidate and offer excellent benefits. Please submit resumes to Cathy Smith: csmith@directmachinery.com

PRESSES – EXTRACTION

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com

Company

Pellerin Milnor Corp.

P.O. Box 400, Kenner, LA 70063 504-467-9591, Fax: 504-468-3094 www.milnor.com

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Web Site Page Company

A.L. Wilson Chemical Co. www.alwilson.com 9

ADI American Dawn www.americandawn.com 5

American Dryer Corp. www.amdry.com 25

B&C Technologies www.bandctech.com 35

Chicago Dryer Co. www.chidry.com 27

Consolidated Laundry Machinery www.clmco.com 19

Davis Packaging www.davispackaging.net 35

Direct Machinery Sales Corp. www.directmachinery.com 36

EDRO Corp. www.edrodynawash.com 14

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. www.freightlinerchassis.com 15

G.A. Braun www.gabraun.com 23

G.S. Manufacturing www.gsm-cart.com 34

Girbau Industrial www.girbauindustrial.com 7

The Griffin Group, Inc. www.thegriffingroup.cc 36

Hamilton Engineering www.hamiltonengineering.com 32

Hanning Elektro-Werke www.hanning-hew.com 26

Hydro Systems www.hydrosystemsco.com 33

Web Site Page

J.P. Equipment www.ineedjpequipment.com 36

Kannegiesser USA www.kannegiesser.com 21

Kemco Systems www.kemcosystems.com 34

LaundryCareers.com www.laundrycareers.com 36

Lavatec Laundry Technology www.lavatec-laundry.com 40

McClure Industries www.mcclureindustries.com 30

Parker Boiler www.parkerboiler.com 30

Pellerin Milnor www.milnor.com 3

Royal Basket Trucks www.royal-basket.com 16

Spartan Chemical www.spartanchemical.com 11

Sunburst Chemicals www.sunburstchemicals.com 32

Stanco Industries www.stancoind.com 36

UniMac www.unimac.com 13

U.N.X. Inc. www.unxinc.com 31

Venus Group www.venusgroup.com 24

Washing Systems, Inc. www.washingsystems.com 29

Xeros www.xeroscleaning.com 17